Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Despite challenges Boohoo boss remains on track to grow brand

Despite challenges Boohoo boss remains on track to grow brand

RECOVERING from challenges and controversies was tough for Boohoo boss John Lyttle, but he remains committed to grow the online fast-fashion brand, The Times reported.

"It was tough. There’s no point in saying it was easy, it was tough,” he said about the past year.


Lyttle, 54, managed the firm through the pandemic, dealt with the sudden death of his 20-year-old son and a scandal about alleged illegal conditions in Boohoo's Leicester supply chain.

Despite all these challenges, the online retailer grew 41 per cent last year.

“...we managed our way through Covid, we had all the media and investor attention last summer but we also acquired six new brands, opened two warehouses and a London office . . . As I keep telling people, ‘If you want to grow you’re gonna have to take on operations like that',” he said.

“Boohoo works on speed. We can replenish within days and weeks so even if we get something totally wrong, it’s not a disaster,” Lyttle added.

Cofounded by Mahmud Kamani and Carol Kane in 2006, Boohoo became an online platform of 13 fashion brands last year, compared with the one womenswear brand  when it was floated in 2014.

He scoffed at the rhetoric that online retail is responsible for the decline of the high street, the newspaper said.

“It’s like saying the motorcar is destroying the horse and cart. Things are progressing and everyone has to progress with that,” he added.

Meanwhile, Boohoo suffered a big blow when an investigation revealed textile workers were paid £3.50 an hour in unsafe conditions in Leicester.

A report by Alison Levitt QC, commissioned and made public by the retailer, underlined that senior bosses knew about the unacceptable working conditions and poor treatment of workers.

He added that the Boohoo’s decision to make the report public highlights the company’s commitment to fix the problem.

Boohoo strategy

“If we get something totally wrong, it’s not a disaster,” Lyttle said of Boohoo’s strategy.

He further said the company had already started to fix its UK supply chain before the issue came to limelight, but the pandemic delayed its efforts.

“The issue we really had was unauthorised subcontracting. We should have had better controls on that, that was the big issue,” he added.

To fix the problem, Boohoo culled its Leicester supply chain. It dropped more than 60, and is currently working with 66 larger factories that can work more effectively at one place.

The firm used to make 50 per cent of its clothes in the UK a few years ago, which has now shrunk to 20 per cent. It now relies more on overseas suppliers that can accommodate its rapid growth.

Moreover, Boohoo is building a “model factory” in Leicester this year to prove that it is possible to manufacture in the UK and pay staff a fair wage.

“There will always be something that we could have done quicker, there’ll always be something that needs a bit more time and effort. But it’s about how we approach it and how we learn as we grow,” he added.

More For You

Tesco Clubcard Changes: Update Your App Before the Deadline

The digital Clubcard offers convenience and flexibility

Getty

Tesco Clubcard changes: Customers urged to update app before Monday deadline

Tesco has issued an urgent call for action to millions of its Clubcard users, advising them to update their Tesco Shopping & Clubcard app before Monday, 31 March 2025. The supermarket giant is rolling out an important update to improve data protection and online security, and failure to update the app by the deadline will leave customers unable to access their digital Clubcard benefits.

Update to ensure enhanced security

The upcoming changes are being implemented to enhance the security of customer data and improve overall protection. Tesco has highlighted the importance of this upgrade, as it seeks to safeguard customer information and keep their online shopping experiences secure.

Keep ReadingShow less
OpenAI Restricts ChatGPT’s Image Feature After Viral Ghibli Trend

Altman addressed the impact of the popular Ghibli-style image trend on OpenAI’s resources

Getty

OpenAI limits ChatGPT’s image generation feature amid viral Ghibli image trend

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced temporary limitations on the company’s image generation feature in response to overwhelming demand driven by a viral trend. On Thursday, Altman addressed the impact of the popular Ghibli-style image trend on OpenAI’s resources, particularly its reliance on GPUs (graphics processing units). Altman revealed that the surge in demand for ChatGPT’s image generation tool has led to significant strain on the company’s infrastructure, prompting the introduction of temporary speed limits for users.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman shared the company’s response to the unexpected demand, stating, “It’s super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. Hopefully won’t be long! ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.”

Keep ReadingShow less
UK-business-district-Getty
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Economic growth in 2024 slightly higher than estimated: ONS

THE UK economy grew slightly more than first estimated in 2024, according to official data released on Friday, providing a small boost for the government after it revised down its growth forecast for 2025.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product expanded by 1.1 per cent in 2024, up from an initial estimate of 0.9 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka posts five per cent GDP growth as it ends years of economic decline

Sri Lanka's president Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka posts five per cent GDP growth as it ends years of economic decline

CASH-STRAPPED Sri Lanka’s economy grew by five per cent in 2024, marking the first full year of expansion since its unprecedented meltdown in 2022, official data showed last Tuesday (18).

The last quarter of 2024 saw the economy expand by 5.4 per cent, bringing the full calendar year’s GDP growth to five per cent, compared to a contraction of 2.3 per cent in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, 'What we’re going to be doing is a 25 per cent tariff on all cars that are not made in the US.'

Getty Images

Trump imposes 25 per cent tariffs on foreign-built cars

US president Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on imported cars and auto parts, escalating trade tensions with key partners.

The new duties take effect on 3 April and apply to foreign-made cars and light trucks, with additional levies on key auto parts set to follow within the month.

Keep ReadingShow less