British Fast Fashion Chain New Look Earnings and Revenue Fall

LONDON, United Kingdom — British fast fashion chain New Look on Tuesday said its earnings and revenue fell in the three quarters to December as it implemented a turnaround strategy after struggling to compete in the British market.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell to £43.8 million in the 39 weeks ending in December, from £153.8 million in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue fell 6.3 percent to £1.07 billion.

"As we expected, Q3 trading remained challenging, with sales and margins impacted by the high level of discounts," executive chairman Alistair McGeorge said.

New Look's South African owner Brait SE wrote down the value of the business to zero in November until its "turnaround strategy has taken shape," adding that it remained a committed long term shareholder.

In 2015 Brait agreed to buy a 90 percent equity stake in New Look for £780 million from private equity firms Apax and Permira, giving the retailer an enterprise value of £1.9 billion, which includes £1 billion pounds in debt.

Permira and Apax had held the asset for over a decade, an unusually long period for buyout funds.

New Look opened its first store in 1969 and now has 596 in the UK and 300 across Europe, China and Asia.

New Look, like the British market more broadly, has had to contend with a weaker pound, internet-focused competition, and a squeeze on consumers as inflation rises and wage growth slows.

By Dasha Afanasieva; editors: Maiya Keidan and Jason Neely.