New-look stores suit Moss Bros

The suit specialist, which has 135 stores in the UK, said it had refurbished and reopened its flagship Regent Street and Bicester Village stores as part of its wider plan to modernise the look and feel of the chain.

The group, which recently sold its Cecil Gee and Hugo Boss stores in order to focus on improving its core Moss business, said the refits had been well-received and a further 10 stores had been chosen for refurbishment in the year to January 2013.

The company, which can trace its roots back to 1851 in London’s Covent Garden, saw shares lift 2 per cent after it reported an 8.9 per cent surge in like-for-like sales in the 16 weeks to May 19.

Chief executive Brian Brick said: “There is no doubt that we are benefiting from the continuing improvement of our product offer and the early stages of the roll out of the refurbishment of our stores in some higher profile locations is reinforcing the strength of the core Moss brand.”

The refits follow the opening of several stores in the new design, which combines its hire, retail and bespoke businesses under one roof, in locations including Canary Wharf, Dublin, Sheffield’s Meadowhall and Bluewater, Kent.

Mr Brick said the refurbishment of stores will help offset any disruption from the Olympic Games, particularly in its central London stores, although the impact on consumer demand, particularly in its hire business, was “difficult to predict”.