Following the news that Authentic Brands Group is set to buy Ted Baker for £221m;

Emily Salter, Senior Apparel Analyst at GlobalData, offers her view:

“This will give Ted Baker the stability it needs to turn its fortunes around as it has fallen out of favour among shoppers and faces more difficulties as consumers cut back on spend on clothing & footwear amid the cost of living crisis.

“Even before the pandemic, Ted Baker was suffering as its distinctive brand handwriting limits its audience, and COVID-19 only compounded its troubles. It fell victim to the lack of demand for occasionwear and formalwear in 2020 and 2021, and although occasionwear is popular again this summer as consumers flock to weddings and other long-postponed events, Ted Baker has not adapted to the long-term casualisation trend. This is vital for Authentic Brands Group to tackle to ensure that it regains relevance among shoppers.”