BHS reborn online following administration

BRITISH HOME STORES is set to relaunch later this week, reinvented as an online retailer just one month after the last bricks-and-mortar store closed.

It will offer mainly lighting and home furnishing products, which its new owners say constituted around 75% of its most popular online items before it went into administration earlier this year.

In June, a new company – BHS International (UK) Limited, which was formed by The Al Mana Group – acquired BHS.com, the international franchise business, and the BHS brand.

The Al Mana Group operates in a number of sectors including retail, automotive, real estate, media and technology. It represents a range of high profile brands including: Zara, Mango, Armani Exchange, United Colors of Benetton and Reebok.

BHS.com will launch in the UK on Thursday 29 September 2016, and will grow its kitchen and dining ware, and clothing items ranges as the pheonix company develops.

Behind the scenes, a new online platform has been developed, with customers able to check out in two clicks.

The new BHS, which will be headquartered in London, has 84 employees – the vast majority of who worked for the retailer before it went into administration.

David Anderson, who was involved in the international business prior to BHS’ administration, will be overseeing the launch of the new UK online business, with a view to recruiting an executive at a later date to run this operation. Buying director Sara Bradley and Dave West, head of creative, have also moved from the old BHS to the new group.

David Anderson, managing director, BHS International, said: “We are thrilled to be relaunching this iconic brand back into the UK. It had a loyal customer base with around 1.2 million British shoppers who bought from us online, and for our relaunch we have managed to secure many of the products they liked the most.

“In addition to this, we have developed a new specially designed online platform for our UK business so we are not inheriting any legacy systems, and we were able to recruit the majority of people who worked on the profitable online and international operations of BHS before it went into administration.

“So although we are starting again in the UK, we have a number of advantages over a typical start-up. We are nimble and efficient, but with a great brand, strong customer base and a proven and dedicated team.”

 

Close