Topshop

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For the video game, see Top Shop.
Topshop
Type Subsidiary
Industry Retail, fashion
Founded 1964 (Sheffield)[1]
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Products Clothing, shoes, accessories, makeup
Owner(s) Arcadia Group (75%)
Leonard Green and Partners (25%)
Parent Arcadia Group
Website www.topshop.com

Topshop is a British multinational retailer which specialises in fashion clothing, shoes, make-up and accessories. It has around 440 shops across 37 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. It is part of the Arcadia Group, which is controlled by Sir Philip Green and owns a number of other retail outlets including Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge.

Contents

History [edit]

Topshop was founded in 1964 as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, a youth fashion brand within the Sheffield branch of Peter Robinson, a now-defunct British department store chain.[1] The first stand-alone Topshop store was opened in 1974.[1] In 1970, Topman was created as a spin-off brand to cater for male customers and is now run as a separate chain, although some stores are co-located.[1]

On 1 May 2010, Topshop opened its first New Zealand store. Located on Auckland's North Shore, the shop sold out of some of its ranges before it had even opened.[2][3]

Topshop expanded into Australia in 2011, with flagships opened in both New South Wales and Victoria.[4][4]

In November 2012, Topshop launched its first store in South Africa. In April 2013 a Topshop-Topman store launched in Cape Town, at the V&A Waterfront, with then a total of three stores in the country.[5]

In December 2012, Philip Green agreed to sell a 25% stake in Topshop and Topman to the United States-based private equity group Leonard Green and Partners for US$805 million.[6][7]

Stores [edit]

Topshop has around 440 shops, 319 of which are in Britain, across 37 countries and online operations in a number of its markets.[8]

Flagship stores [edit]

Topshop Oxford Circus in London, England

Oxford Circus, London [edit]

Topshop Oxford Circus is the flagship Topshop store in the United Kingdom and the largest fashion store in the world.[9][10] The store's features include a nail bar, a one-hour tailoring service, a hair salon by catwalk hairdresser Daniel Hersheson, an EAT café/sandwich bar, and a one-hour delivery service whereby customers can place an order to the store and their products will be delivered by Vespa scooter to them within one hour, providing that they live in the delivery zone.[11] Topshop Oxford Circus is roughly 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) and covers five floors.[12] The shop attracts up to 30,000 customers each day.[13]

Broadway, New York City [edit]

Topshop's first flagship store outside the United Kingdom is located on Broadway in SoHo, New York City.[14] The store offers services similar to Topshop Oxford Circus in London.[15] The New York store is the brand's second largest store after the company's flagship store in London: the New York store is roughly 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2).[16][17][18]

Liverpool One, Liverpool [edit]

In the summer of 2009, Topshop opened its first Manhattan-style concept store in the United Kingdom, in Liverpool, England. Located in Liverpool One, the new store provides 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) of retail space making it the second largest store in the country.[19] It is the company's north of England flagship store and also contains Topman, an Office and Kurt Geiger shoes outlet, and a Voodoo hair salon.[20]

Briggate, Leeds [edit]

The new Topshop and Topman on Briggate seen shortly after opening.

In October 2012, Topshop opened a 31,000 square feet (2,900 m2) flagship store on Briggate in Leeds, which became the third-largest Topshop in the UK. It is one of only two stores in the UK to offer a personal shopper service. It is part of the Trinity Leeds shopping development which is due to be fully opened by March 2013.

By country [edit]

A co-located Topshop and Topman in Exeter, United Kingdom

Products [edit]

Topshop's principal products are fashion clothing, shoes, make-up and accessories.

Topshop's current trends are 'Rock Coco', 'S', 'Glactica' and 'Scandi Military', alongside luxury garments and designer affiliations under 'The Boutique'.

In May 2007, the British supermodel Kate Moss, designed her first collection for Topshop.[25] The appointment of Moss was announced just before the departure of CEO Jane Shepherdson.

In July 2007, British artist Stella Vine designed a limited edition fashion range exclusively for Topshop inspired by her colourful artworks. These included T-shirts,[26] vest tops, and T-shirt dresses,[27] with the labels designed in pink glitter.[28] The Guardian commented that "the fact that the range of T-shirts she has recently designed for Top Shop - emblazoned with slogans like Breaking Up With Her Boyfriend - are flying out, speaks volumes for her public support."[29]

Controversies [edit]

Topshop Oxford Circus damaged by anti-cuts protesters in March 2011

Taxation [edit]

On 4 December 2010, campaigners staged a sit-in at Topshop's flagship Oxford Circus store, and in Brighton a few glued themselves to the branch windows, while other high streets in towns and cities across Britain saw similar protests in a day of action against the tax arrangements of rich individuals and big businesses.[30]

In February 2011 armed police arrested 19 year old Jed Miller after he wrote "pay your taxes" in washable ink on the wall of a Top Shop branch in Colchester.[31]

Suppliers [edit]

Topshop has been criticized by the student campaigning network People & Planet for allegedly using cotton picked in Uzbekistan by slaves, and for refusing to join the Ethical Trading Initiative.[32]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Arcadia - Our History
  2. ^ "Topshop opens in Auckland". Stuff.co.nz. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  3. ^ "Topshop to open in New Zealand". Stuff.co.nz. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  4. ^ a b Dykes, Daniel (26 June 2011). "Topshop in Australia". Retrieved 26 June 2011. 
  5. ^ Madongo, Irene (23 November 2012). "Topshop: open in S Africa". Financial Times. 
  6. ^ "Philip Green sells 25% stake in Topshop chain". BBC News. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012. 
  7. ^ "Billionaire Sells Stake in Topshop for $805 Million". The New York Times. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012. 
  8. ^ "See's, Topshop, Topman opening at the Grove in February". LA Times. 
  9. ^ http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=24218Topshop Press Release regarding Topshop's size.
  10. ^ http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/
  11. ^ http://www.topshop.com/blog/2007/09/Sep_12.html EAT café Topshop.
  12. ^ http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/2008/09/17/LifeStyle/Topshop.Brings.London.Style.To.The.States-3435336.shtml Topshop's Size
  13. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/business/worldbusiness/21topshop.html Topshop's Average daily footfall of brands flagship store.
  14. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/13/style/Rtop.php Topshop signs a New York deal
  15. ^ http://www.beautyandthedirt.co.uk/show.asp?ID=12 Topshop's NYC store
  16. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/business/worldbusiness/21topshop.html New York flagship store size
  17. ^ http://thestyledarling.blogspot.com/2008/09/on-topshop-of-manhattan_08.html New York store info
  18. ^ Hall, James (2 April 2009). "Sir Philip Green confident as Topshop opens in New York". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 10 April 2009. 
  19. ^ "Top Shop's New Global Store to Open in Liverpool One". Liverpool One. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
  20. ^ Core, Kevin (30 January 2009). "New Topshop bucks trend". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
  21. ^ [1]
  22. ^ ABC News: U.K.: Kate Moss' Designs Unveiled in London
  23. ^ http://www.thenanfang.com/blog/fashion-alert-britains-topshop-pops-up-in-shenzhen/.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ^ http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/12/13/topshop-opens-hong-kong-store---asia-debut/.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ "Kate Moss Confirmed for Topshop" Rogue Connect, 20 September 2006
  26. ^ Stella Vine tee at Topshop, Catwalk Queen, 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  27. ^ One of Stella Vine's T-shirt dresses for TopShop, Topshop.com, 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  28. ^ "Stella Vine for Top Shop", Topshop, 27 July 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
  29. ^ Moody, Paul. "Everyone's talking about Stella Vine", The Guardian, 12 July 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  30. ^ Howie, Michael (4 December 2010). "Sir Philip Green's flagship Topshop forced to close in tax avoidance protest". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2010. 
  31. ^ Frances Leate (22 February 2011). "Arrested by armed police – for writing on a wall". Daily Gazette. 
  32. ^ http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=1905262007.  Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links [edit]

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