Sainsbury’s has reported an 8% uplift in Tu Clothes gross sales for the 16 weeks to 21 June 2025, outperforming the broader market and serving to drive the grocery store’s highest market share since 2016.
Progress was led by a 13% rise in womenswear, which the group attributed to “improved design and powerful availability”. Seasonal demand, paired with hotter spring climate, supported robust efficiency throughout its summer season assortment, significantly in event and holiday-led classes.
The outcomes had been a part of a strong first quarter for the retailer. Whole gross sales, excluding gasoline, rose by 4.9%, whereas common merchandise and clothes collectively grew by 4.2%. Argos, which additionally sits inside Sainsbury’s common merchandise division, returned to development with gross sales up 4.4%.
Simon Roberts, Chief Government of J Sainsbury plc, mentioned: “Our profitable mixture of nice worth, excellent high quality, glorious availability and main customer support has pushed additional share positive factors, reaching our highest market share in virtually a decade. We’re delivering our strongest ever buyer provide.”
The outcomes underline Sainsbury’s efforts to place Tu Clothes as a extra style-conscious, value-driven vogue possibility throughout the grocery retail setting. The model has continued to develop its vary of wardrobe necessities and trend-led collections, supported by the attain of Sainsbury’s intensive retailer community and on-line distribution.
Wanting forward, Sainsbury’s reaffirmed its full-year steerage of round £1 billion in retail underlying working revenue, with second-half energy anticipated. Retail free money stream is forecast to exceed £500 million.
It additionally plans to proceed pushing Tu Clothes. In March, Sainsbury’s appointed Ben Smith, Matalan’s former Chief Buying and selling Officer, as its Clothes Managing Director to guide Tu.
On the time, Sainsbury’s spokesperson instructed TheIndustry.vogue: “We’re happy to be welcoming Ben Smith to Sainsbury’s later this 12 months, to take up the function of Clothes Managing Director. Ben brings substantial clothes retail expertise and will likely be a superb addition to the enterprise. He’ll report back to Rhian Bartlett, Chief Business Officer.”
Sainsbury’s clothes success comes as rivals like Asda double down on their very own vogue ambitions. Regardless of reporting a £600 million loss and a 3.1% drop in gross sales in Q1 2025, Asda’s George clothes vary has emerged as a uncommon vivid spot, posting 3.5% like-for-like development.
The grocery store lately opened a standalone George idea retailer in Leeds, styled extra like a excessive avenue vogue vacation spot than a grocery store aisle. It’s a transfer designed to reposition George as a reputable way of life model and doubtlessly pave the way in which for a broader retail enlargement.
Asda now plans to remodel as much as 100 shops to higher highlight George vogue, with chairman Allan Leighton reportedly backing George to guide the model’s revival. The daring ambition: to surpass Primark and turn out to be the UK’s primary clothes retailer – an escalation in what’s changing into an more and more aggressive grocery store vogue market.
