Phase Eight - International Roll Out
About the brand
Established in London in 1979, Phase Eight is a British women’s fashion retailer, with more 550 points of sale across 21 international markets. It reached a turnover of £198m in 2016, and EBITDA of £31m. The business was recently sold to The Foschini Group for £238m.
The Challenge/Task
Following strong growth in the UK and internationally, Phase Eight approached Pragma and our US Ebeltoft partner, McMillan Doolittle, to develop recommendations for a market entry strategy into the USA. Phase Eight has already undertaken a number of exploratory conversations with potential US partners, but required an expert opinion on the alternative options available in order to optimise market entry.
WHAT WE DID
Identified roll out opportunities across several channels, including own stores and concessions
Detailed analysis of the international dynamics of the market, customer and competitors and considerations of operational support
Optimal channel strategy over a 5 year period
“Pragma did an excellent piece of work for us on our financial and operational performance and the extent of our roll-out opportunity. What particularly impressed us was their ability to provide fresh ideas that really challenged our thinking.”
The Result
Phase Eight has since launched concessions in Bloomingdale’s department stores in the US, building on its growing overseas presence in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Spain.