Fashion
M&S names key fashion, home and beauty exec from Primark
Published
September 17, 2025
M&S has a new commercial and operations director for fashion, home and beauty as the retail giant undergoes a “comprehensive restructuring” of its end-to-end operation.
Jon Rolls joins from Primark where his “deep expertise” in trading, operational efficiency, and large-scale transformations will be key for a new job that includes identifying commercial opportunities and improving operational efficiency across the supply chain.
The appointment marks Rolls’ return to M&S where he began his career as part of its graduate scheme. He later moved to New Look in 2006 where he served as head of Merchandising.
In 2011, he joined Primark, undertaking a series of senior merchandising roles. In 2019, he was appointed group director of Planning and Space, joining the retailer’s executive team.
M&S said the Rolls’ appointment “marks a significant step” in the ongoing transformation of M&S’s Fashion, Home & Beauty division.
He will report the department’s managing director John Lyttle (also ex-Primark) and will “lead the cross-business unit commercial planning, oversee the Outlets division, and drive the modernisation of systems across merchandising, forecasting, and range planning — enhancing collaboration between internal teams and supply partners”.
M&S is currently in the early stages of that “comprehensive restructuring” for its Fashion, Home & Beauty division. Key priorities include the rollout of a new merchandise and range management system, increased automation across the logistics network to support online growth, and strengthening the resilience and flexibility of the supply base.
Lyttle said his “experience in driving operational change and commercial growth in fast-paced retail environments will be invaluable as we reshape our supply chain for growth and build a more agile, customer-focused business.”
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Translated by
Nazia BIBI KEENOO
Published
September 17, 2025
An evolution of the annual Paris Retail Week, the NRF Europe trade show, held in Paris from September 16 to 18, presented its inaugural awards to innovative players in the retail sector.
On Tuesday, September 17, the inaugural edition of the show enjoyed a busy first day, buoyed by the transformation of this season’s opening event, held in Halls 4 and 6 at Porte de Versailles. Rebranding under the NRF banner (the New York show created by the National Retail Federation) appears to have attracted significant numbers of international visitors, according to professionals interviewed on the second day of the event.
On Tuesday evening, the Seamless Unified Retail Store award went to the Dutch company New Black for its mobile point-of-sale systems, which connect sales associates in physical stores. The prize for store design, innovation and technology went to the French company Vusion for its store equipment and software.
The Spanish company If Returns won in the Logistics and Supply Chain category for its easy-to-integrate product returns solution. Mir won in the Marketplace Expansion category, while the French company Lyzi took the prize for innovations in payments.
Another French company, Loyaltee, was awarded the prize for customer service tools (CRM) for its automated assistance solution. The prize for the intelligent use of data went to the Belgian company Live Crew, which enables stores to measure lost sales.
The start-up and innovation award went to Claim.me. The Berlin-based company offers retailers a solution for handling claims in the event of lost, damaged or delayed parcels. The solution has already been adopted by Tamaris, Asics and Flaconi.
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Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
A US delegation led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, met Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal.
The Indian Commerce and Industry Ministry termed the one-day trade discussions held between the US and India yesterday in New Delhi ‘positive’ and ‘forward-looking’.
A US delegation led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia, met Indian officials.
“It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the ministry said.
A few days back, President Donald Trump had announced that negotiations between the two countries would resume soon to address ‘trade barriers’.
“It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the ministry said in a release.
The two sides are now expected to hold a formal sixth round of negotiations.
“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social yesterday.
Responding on X, Modi wrote, “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The profit rose 53 per cent to €47.9 million (~$56 million), lifting the profit margin to 5.2 per cent from 3.3 per cent. Adjusted EBIT was €68.7 million, with a 7.4 per cent margin (8.4 per cent in H1 2024).
Ermenegildo Zegna Group has posted revenues of €927.7 million (~$1,085.4 million) in H1 2025, down 3.4 per cent as wholesale streamlining offset 4.2 per cent DTC growth, now 82 per cent of branded sales.
Profit surged 53 per cent to €47.9 million (~$56 million), with gross margin at 67.5 per cent.
Zegna brand stayed resilient, Thom Browne fell, and Tom Ford Fashion posted losses.
The DTC revenues grew 4.2 per cent (6.1 per cent organic) to €698 million, reaching 82 per cent of branded revenues (76 per cent in H1 2024), and wholesale branded declined 27.1 per cent (26.5 per cent organic) to €154.2 million, Zegna Group said in a press release.
The gross margin improved to 67.5 per cent (+110 basis points), aided by the higher DTC mix, meanwhile the operating profit was €61.3 million (6.6 per cent margin) vs €73.1 million (7.6 per cent). The net financial items and foreign exchange (FX) turned positive €6 million (vs negative €24.8 million), aided by put-option remeasurement and a favourable US dollar/euro move.
Brand and segment wise, Zegna brand revenues were €570.4 million, up 0.8 per cent (2.6 per cent organic). Thom Browne recorded revenue of €129.2 million, down 22.5 per cent (21.7 per cent organic). Tom Ford Fashion saw a revenue of €152.7 million, up 2.8 per cent (3.8 per cent organic), and Textile with €67.1 million revenue was down 6.6 per cent.
Zegna delivered adjusted EBIT of €94.4 million, with margins rising to 14.3 per cent (up 150 basis points), supported by stronger operating leverage and disciplined cost management. Thom Browne generated €4.5 million, with margins falling to 3.5 per cent from 12.1 per cent, pressured by lower revenues and upfront costs tied to new DTC store openings. Tom Ford Fashion reported a loss of €19.4 million, with margins at –12.7 per cent, reflecting heavy investments in retail expansion, talent, IT systems, and organisational infrastructure.
By region, revenues in the Americas rose 6.8 per cent (9.3 per cent organic) to €262.7 million. Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) generated €328.9 million, a decline of 2.3 per cent (1.9 per cent organic). Greater China fell 16.2 per cent (14.7 per cent organic) to €223.1 million, while the Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) edged up 1.4 per cent (3.4 per cent organic) to €111.5 million.
The capital expenditure totalled €54 million, directed mainly towards DTC network growth and the new shoe plant in Parma (Italy). Trade working capital improved to €441.8 million, supported by reduced inventories and receivables following wholesale rationalisation. The net financial indebtedness stood at €92.1 million, remaining broadly stable.
“Our first-half 2025 results reflect the Group’s strategic decision to invest in the DTC store network and capabilities across our three brands, while continuing to support projects that fuel our long-term growth ambitions,” said Ermenegildo Gildo Zegna, Group chairman and CEO. “In this context, we are pleased with the operating results reported by the Zegna segment where stronger operating leverage and disciplined execution led to an improvement of the adjusted EBIT margin by 150 basis points. This strong performance helped balance the impact of the strategic transformation underway at Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion.”
“With the strength of our Filiera, the authenticity of our brands, and—above all—the clarity of our vision and the talent of our team, we remain on track to achieve our 2027 targets, despite sector and currency headwinds,” added Zegna.
The management reiterates confidence in achieving 2027 targets, citing the stronger Zegna segment profitability, continued DTC investments, and the group’s integrated Italian supply chain (Filiera). Near-term headwinds include sector softness and currency volatility as Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion continue strategic transitions.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
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