Moss Bros, the menswear group, is launching a chain of stores selling bespoke suits costing up to £350 in a bid to steal share from traditional tailors.

Moss Bros Bespoke aims to offer the cheapest made-to-measure suits on the market. The first store will open in the City of London next month and the concept is expected to be rolled out across the country through shops and concessions.

According to The Times, the new stores will operate as showrooms rather than traditional stores. Customers will be measured up and given a range of fabric, cuts and linings to choose from. The suits will be made in China and delivered four weeks later.

The stores will also stock a range of limited edition off-the-peg suits.

Moss Bros chief executive Brian Brick said he believes it is the first time the service has been offered from a physical store, although similar models are available online. He added that Moss Bros wanted to take the “mystique” out of bespoke tailoring.

The move is expected to be met with concern by traditional tailors and comes after the Savile Row Bespoke Association launched a stamp of assurance, which aims to clarify the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure suits.

In March, Moss Bros reported a narrower pre-tax loss of £3.9m for the year to January 30. It attributed a 0.5% sales increase at the Moss Bros mainstream division to staff training and improved in-store customer experience.

Topics