House of Fraser will unveil a raft of big-name brands in stores this autumn, but has warned it will toughen supplier terms.
Body Shop, Mappin & Webb, Thomas Pink and The Pen Shop are among the debutantes at the retailer, which was bought by Baugur last November for£341 million.
It is understood to be on the verge of signing fashion giant Gap for mens- and womenswear, as well as children’s clothing.
House of Fraser wants suppliers to contribute towards marketing costs – as Marks & Spencer demanded of its suppliers last year – in return for a rebate based on like-for-like performance.
The retailer will spend£50 million on branding and marketing, one task of which will be to bring together its 14 fascias, including Jenners and Beatties, under the House of Fraser banner.
“You can expect to see more prominence of House of Fraser in various forms of media. If you invest jointly, everyone benefits,” a House of Fraser spokesman said.
It is understood that suppliers will pay more for a presence in stores in premium locations and their performance will be monitored through House of Fraser’s Recognition card.
This is the second time the retailer’s management has tightened the screws on suppliers since the takeover.
In a brochure sent to suppliers this week, House of Fraser revealed it has launched a£180 million, three-year programme to refurbish its 61 stores.
A quarter of the estate has been refurbished and a new look for the Oxford Street store will be unveiled next month to coincide with London Fashion Week.
House of Fraser, under the leadership of chief executive John King, revealed ambitions to compete directly on price and aspiration with Selfridges, placing itself above John Lewis, which is poised to ramp up its own fashion offer.
House of Fraser, which has culled 100 underperforming brands in womenswear, will launch two more own-label brands in womenswear and menswear in February. Its Linea range has been extended and will benefit from new shopfits.
House of Fraser will launch a transactional web site, costing£20 million, next month. It will offer 250 brands and 8,000 SKUs across all categories.
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