BHS International sets sights on major global expansion
THE QATARI owners of the rebooted BHS brand are to push the retailer through a major international expansion.
The business is on the cusp of securing deals with three franchise partners covering Africa, Europe and the Middle East as it looks to enter 10 new countries.
BHS International, which has a profitable global operation, said it would launch a new department store in Qatar and offer products better suited to its international customers.
BHS collapsed into administration in April this year, impacting 11,000 jobs and leaving a £571m pension deficit in its wake.
In June, the Al Mana Group formed BHS International and snapped up its global franchise business and brand.
David Anderson, managing director of BHS International, said the retailer’s overseas business has enjoyed “strong growth” in recent years.
“Under the new owners, we have ambitious plans to accelerate this growth, and working closely with new and existing franchise partners we are confident we can do this; since the new international business was formed in June, we have secured agreements with new partners in new territories, and are in discussions with many others.”
The Al Mana Group relaunched BHS in September by rolling out BHS.com with UK suppliers and 84 staff.
The products stocked by the online retailer were made up of around three-quarters of the most popular online items sold by BHS before it went into administration.