Like all traditional fashion retailers, C&A is facing tough competition from pureplays and discounters. As Select struggles to stay afloat, New Look plans to take an axe to its UK store estate and cut rental costs and Next labels 2017 the most challenging period it has faced for 25 years, how best to fight back against these challengers and remain relevant in what can be a brutally unforgiving sector?

In an interview with RTIH, Thorsten Rolfes, Head of Corporate Communications, C&A, comments: “We closed the 2017/18 business year (1st March to 28th February), with like-for-like sales up 4% across the board. We will continue this year by going on the offensive on several fronts. For example, we will continue to enhance our fashion collections, sharpen our prices in specific product categories and expand our product ranges, with an introductory pilot of a ‘Home’ category that includes bed linen, pillows and accessories just to give you a few examples.”

Mobile, meanwhile, is “a very important channel for us, as more than 50% of traffic is being generated via mobile devices. Therefore our new shops deliver a responsive design to ensure the best user experience for our customers,” adds Dr. Andreas Hammer, Director E-Commerce Europe.  At the same time, Rolfes stresses, physical stores remain a key part of the omnichannel strategy. It might have packed its bags and left the UK High Street, but C&A still has more than 1,500 stores in 18 European countries, making it one of the world's largest fashion apparel retailers, with around 35,000 employees. The retailer also has a presence in Brazil, Mexico and China.

By the end of 2018, more than 10% of the European stores will have been refurbished. “In 2018 we will double our investments and the largest share will go into our physical stores,” Rolfes concludes.