Store wars: The battle to be the best on the high street

As Zara’s sales continue to soar, leaving its fashion rivals quivering in the aisles, Emma McCarthy sizes up the Big Four stores in the fight for the high street 
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1 October 2012

If you thought the battle on the high street ended with handbags at dawn for the last pair of sale shoes in size 5, think again. Last Thursday, H&M reported a lower-than-expected 0.8 per cent rise in profits for this quarter. Not, perhaps, the most backbreaking of losses but a huge blow when compared with the profits of its biggest rival, Zara, which announced a massive 32 per cent rise last week. Ouch.

H&M hit back with plans to add 300 new stores to its already 2,600-strong portfolio, as well as shedding more light on its new high-end offering “& Other Stories”, confirming that it will be rolled out in stores and online soon.

The gloves are off in the battle of the best. Here, we weigh up the stats of the Big Four in the ring this season.

Zara

Bio: Established in 1975, Zara is the flagship chain of Spanish company Inditex, which also owns Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka. Of 1,863 stores worldwide, 64 are in the UK.
Best for: Long-legged, lean Europeans with a taste for studded leather and faux-fur gilets. Its love of clean-cut tailoring also seduced the fashion pack.
Pros: It fills a gap in our wardrobes most of us didn’t even know we had.
Cons: Zara harbours an unhealthy obsession with unnecessary touches — see metal-tipped collars and slashed-back jumpers.
Star buy: Seriously. Good. Coats.

H&M

Bio: Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz has been on the scene since 1976, when it opened the first store outside Scandinavia in the UK. H&M also owns COS, Monki and Cheap Monday.
Best for: Students and those who have the knack of combining high-end with high street.
Pros: Chasing trends like a dog on heat, H&M delivers the season’s must-have items into the waiting arms of an eager audience. Plus, let’s not forget the sell-out designer collaborations.
Cons: The queues. Although a cheap shop is guaranteed, a quick one is not.
Star buy: Last week it was printed trousers, this week, mohair knits.

Gap

Bio: Founded in 1969, Gap is the largest clothes retailer in the States and the third largest globally. It also owns Banana Republic.
Best for: Effortless cool mums (and tots) and laidback Londoners who value quality fabrics and muted colours.
Pros: The unsung high street hero has steadily supplied us with superbly soft cashmere, perfectly cut trench coats and chinos in every shade.
Cons: The uniformity can turn off those who demand trend-led fashion.
Star buy: There was a time when Gap sold only blue jeans and white cotton shirts — and these are still the best on the market.

Topshop

Bio: Sir Philip Green’s most successful high street chain now has some 300 stores in the UK. The Arcadia Group also owns Topman, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.
Best for:The fashion-hungry who want style, substance and a load of choice.
Pros: As the only high street brand to show on schedule at London Fashion Week, it has cemented its status within the fashion elite.
Cons: Once you hit 30, you’re off Topshop’s radar for good.
Star buy: Topshop excels in the luxe grunge look, effortlessly pairing pretty skater skirts with khaki parka jackets. Plus, it has consistently great shoes.

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