House of Fraser woes won’t hurt us, says Ted Baker

Upmarket fashion brand Ted Baker on Tuesday said it is immune to House of Fraser’s recent woes despite selling some dresses, bags and shoes via the struggling department store chain.

Ray Kelvin, the founder and chief executive, said: “I’m sorry they’re having a hard time. We are keen to help and support them but we will survive without them.”

He added that the sales coming from House of Fraser, which is shutting more than half of its stores to stay afloat, “aren’t material”.

Ted Baker on Tuesday said revenues for the 19 weeks to June 9 were up 4%, thanks largely to a 33.6% jump in online sales and an increase in its wholesale business of 14.2%.

“We’re not a High Street retailer – we are managing the transformation from bricks to digital,” added Kelvin, whose company has just 25 shops in Britain.

He also plans to have a bespoke website in every country where Ted Baker sells its wares.