Fashion
Boohoo sidesteps Frasers over new management incentive plan
By
Bloomberg
Published
November 28, 2025
British fast-fashion retailer Boohoo Group Plc will bypass major shareholder Frasers Group Plc on a new management incentive plan, as it pushes ahead with its turnaround efforts.
The group behind Debenhams.com and Boohoo.com said that while sidestepping a key shareholder on a pay plan runs against usual corporate-governance practice, the decision was justified because Frasers has repeatedly sought to disrupt the company’s strategy and future success.
Representatives for Frasers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes as Boohoo reported a 23% drop in first-half revenue, missing analyst estimates. Still, its gross margin was ahead of expectations and the company sees earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization growing in the double digits next year.
Shares of Boohoo jumped as much as 24% in early London trading, the most on an intraday basis since April. They had lost about two-thirds of their value this year through Wednesday’s close.
“The turnaround plan is coming together at pace,” analysts at Panmure Liberum said in a note. “When top line growth returns this is well set for very strong EBITDA margins and cash generation.”
Boohoo said it wants a new program because incentives didn’t include chief executive officer Dan Finley or chief financial officer Phil Ellis — despite both being central to delivering the company’s turnaround. Payouts will be triggered at various market capitalization milestones, starting from when the stock triples from its current baseline level, Boohoo said.
The decision not to consult Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is the latest development in a long-running spat that includes wrangling over board representation. Earlier this year, Ashley voted against Boohoo’s move to rebrand itself as Debenhams Group.
When Boohoo bought Debenhams out of administration in 2021, it shut the chain’s unprofitable stores and relaunched it as a marketplace featuring around 10,000 fashion, home and beauty brands.
The company is also reviewing other parts of its portfolio, including a potential sale of its PrettyLittleThing brand, and is consolidating warehouse operations.
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Fashion
US’ Wolverine Worldwide 2025 revenue rises 6.8% on Active Group growth
The gross margin expanded to 47.3 per cent and diluted earnings per share more than doubled to $1.14 from $0.55.
Wolverine Worldwide has reported revenue of $1.874 billion in 2025, up 6.8 per cent, led by Active Group growth and strong Saucony performance.
Margins and earnings improved, while cash rose and debt declined.
Fourth-quarter revenue increased 4.6 per cent.
CEO Hufnagel highlighted brand momentum and transformation progress.
The company expects 2026 revenue growth with steady margins.
The company strengthened its balance sheet during the year, ending with cash of $206 million, up 35.6 per cent, and net debt reduced 16.2 per cent to $415 million. Inventory increased 10.7 per cent to $274 million, Wolverine Worldwide said in a press release.
The fourth quarter (Q4) revenue rose 4.6 per cent YoY to $517.5 million, supported by strong Active Group growth, particularly Saucony and Merrell. Active Group revenue increased 12.4 per cent to $372.7 million, while Work Group declined 11.3 per cent to $134 million. Gross margin improved to 47 per cent from 43.6 per cent, reflecting product cost savings, favourable mix and price increases, partly offset by higher US tariffs. Diluted earnings per share climbed to $0.38 from $0.28.
“We exceeded our expectations across all key metrics in the fourth quarter, finishing a solid year for the Company. Our biggest brands are growing around the world, direct-to-consumer (DTC) continues to improve, earnings per share increased meaningfully YoY, and I believe we’re finding our footing where we’ve underperformed,” said Chris Hufnagel, president and chief executive officer of Wolverine Worldwide. “I am pleased with our progress in transforming the company and encouraged by the momentum we have carried into 2026. We’re focused squarely on executing our brand-building model with pace and distinction—building awesome products, telling amazing stories, and driving the business each day.”
Looking ahead, Wolverine Worldwide expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.96-1.985 billion, representing growth of 4.6-5.9 per cent YoY. The company anticipates gross margin of about 46 per cent, operating margin of roughly 8.8 per cent and diluted earnings per share between $1.31 and $1.46, signalling continued but measured expansion as brand-driven strategy execution progresses, added the release.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fashion
Extreme heat threatens health, jobs in Indian textile sector: Report
The report, ‘Breaking Point: Heat and the Garment Floor’, by Tata Institute of Social Sciences and HeatWatch, documents widespread heat stress and major gaps in workplace protections across factories in Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. Based on surveys of 115 workers and 47 in-depth interviews, along with factory case studies, the study highlights how extreme heat combines with production pressure and gendered workplace dynamics to intensify risks.
Severe heat stress and weak protections plagued India’s garment factories, employing 45 million people, mostly women, a new report found.
It urged legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational risk, stronger labour rights, enforceable safety standards and infrastructure upgrades such as ventilation, cooling and medical access to protect workers’ health, productivity and incomes.
Survey findings reveal limited access to basic protections. Over 36 per cent of workers reported irregular or unclean drinking water, 78 per cent struggled to access toilets, and 80 per cent said their workstations lacked air movement. Nearly 88 per cent felt completely drained during peak summer months, while 87 per cent reported heat-related ailments such as headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps in the past year.
Women workers reported acute impacts, with 96.8 per cent experiencing burning sensations during urination and 92.6 per cent reporting menstrual disruptions linked to heat and production pressure.
Factory assessments across 15 surveyed units across different states showed 60 per cent lacked on-site medical facilities, 73.3 per cent had metal or asbestos roofs, and nearly half did not monitor temperature or humidity. In some cases, monitoring devices were installed only during buyer inspections.
The report warns that extreme heat is not merely seasonal discomfort but a structural labour and public health issue. It calls for legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational disease, expanded social protection, mandatory work-rest cycles, infrastructure upgrades and stronger worker participation in safety decisions.
With India projected to lose 35 million jobs and 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 due to heat stress, the study urges urgent structural reforms to protect one of the country’s largest employment sectors.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)
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