SHOPPERS will once again be able to browse an iconic 90s fashion brand after it fell into administration back in August.
Ted Baker now trading as an online business in the UK after all of its 46 stores shut for good.
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The original website stopped taking online orders ahead of the stores shutting but now it’s back.
The fashion brand’s website went live late last week and stocks a range of menswear, womenswear and accessories.
Found at tedbaker.com the new site offers all of the familiar favourites of the chain.
It ships exclusively to the UK, but states that European versions of the site will be “coming soon”.
The relaunch of the website marks the first major move from new operating partner United Legwear and Apparel (ULAC), which was appointed by Ted Baker owner Authentic in September to run its online operations across UK and Europe.
A spokesperson for Authentic told Drapers: “The new site is designed to bring Ted Baker’s signature blend of British charm, style and sophistication into the digital space, offering customers an elevated and fresh shopping experience.
“From sleek visuals to an intuitive navigation, the new Tedbaker.com makes the brand’s most-loved categories – menswear, womenswear and accessories – more accessible to its audiences.”
It came after the brand’s previous UK operator No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL) called in administrators back in March.
The decision to shutter shops comes after Ted Baker fell into administration in March when a deal collapsed between its American owners, Authentic Brands, and a Dutch operating partner which was meant to run the store operations.
Before the company fell into administration it employed 975 people and had 46 shops in the UK and Europe.
The Sun exclusively revealed in July that the brand was at risk of disappearing from the high street forever within weeks.
In August, it closed its 31 remaining stores in the UK and Ireland.
The store also launched major clearance sales, as shoppers got a chance to buy their pricey wares at a markdown costs.
It came as a huge blow to shoppers, who were forced to wave goodbye to another classic UK retailer.
Founded in 1988, Ted Baker was well-known in the 90s for its clothes and accessories with bold and floral designs.
But the company started to struggle in 2019 after its founder Ray Kelvin quit his role following allegations of harassment.
Several profit warnings, a statement advising the stock market that company profits will be lower than expected, followed.
It was hoped that some of the company’s shops could be saved under a deal with Frasers Group but this later fell apart.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
Brands making a comeback
Shoppers have seen this happen to their favourite brands before.
In September Cath Kidston announced it’s making a surprise return to the high street after all its stores closed when it collapsed into administration.
After Paperchase collapsed and its stores were closed it was bought by Tesco and is now available to buy in concessions in the grocer.
Fashion chain M&Co returned to the high street after previously collapsing into administration and closing all stores.
The chain opened its first new store in May in Newton Mearns, Scotland.
Just a few months after collapsing into administration, Wilko made its high street comeback.
Thanks to the efforts of its new owner, The Range, Wilko stores have been reappearing across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Currently, six stores are open, with the latest site located in the Dolphin Centre in Poole.
Toys R Us is also among those who’ve managed to make a comeback.
The popular toy brand opened up nine new shops in 2023 after vanishing from the high street in 2018.
However, the new stores are slightly different as they are “shop-in-shops” and are located inside WHSmith stores.
Fans of Laura Ashley can once again buy their favourite clothing items both online and in-store at Next.
Topshop could also be making a dramatic comeback to the British high street in a welcome boost for shoppers who mourned its loss.
Asos bought Topshop out of administration for £265million in 2021.
And earlier this month, bosses at ASOS confirmed they were exploring new ways to bring the iconic brand to customers.
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