Matalan is ramping up its fashion credentials with a revamped autumn/winter collection aimed at changing customer perceptions of the brand.
It will launch its new autumn/winter range on 12 September, marking what it described as a significant shift in its fashion direction with a greater focus on design, quality and elevated everyday style.
The new collection features sharper silhouettes and more premium-looking fabrics across tailoring, leather-look jackets, knitwear, checks and footwear.
Hero pieces include oversized pinstripe tailoring, tie-neck blouses, barn jackets and barrel-leg denim, with the retailer taking a more directional approach to seasonal trends.
Matalan chief product, brand and commercial officer Sarah Welsh said the latest range was about “changing the perception of what Matalan can be”.
She said: “We’ve taken a much more directional approach to design, playing with stronger silhouettes, richer textures and the trends we know our customers are excited about, while keeping everything wearable and effortless.”
Welsh added that the transformation extended beyond its product ranges, with Matalan also investing in its stores, visual merchandising and digital proposition in an effort to create a more contemporary customer experience.
The fashion push comes as Matalan accelerates its broader turnaround strategy under chief executive Henrik Nordvall.
The retailer narrowed its pre-tax loss to £54.7m in its latest financial year, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 24 per cent to £69.4m. Revenue slipped to £971.2m, although gross profit rose six per cent to £538m.
Matalan has also been investing heavily in its physical estate. It completed 30 store refreshes during the year, with refurbished shops outperforming the wider estate by around 12 per cent and delivering like-for-like sales growth of 10 per cent following their upgrades.
It plans to refresh a further 40 stores during its current financial year, including 14 of its traditionally strongest-performing locations, alongside opening or relocating at least 10 stores.
It is also preparing to launch a new app later this year as it steps up its digital investment.
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