Fashion
Frasers Group buys Glasgow’s Braehead mall as its acquisition spree continues
Published
November 20, 2025
It’s rare that a month goes by without news of Frasers Group buying another business and the latest announcement came on Thursday with the acquisition-hungry retail giant buying Braehead Shopping Centre.
It’s just a month since the group bough a majority stake in American luxury retailer The Webster and three months since it revealed it now had a stake in leisure specialist We Do Play.
But as well as buying such businesses it’s also been increasing its ownership of malls and retail parks. So why Braehead in particular?
Well, the Glasgow destination is Scotland’s largest retail and leisure destination with annual footfall of over 15 million visitors and totalling over 1 million square feet.
The company said the acquisition reinforces its “commitment to investing in high-potential retail destinations. Property acquisitions such as this one play a key role in Frasers Group’s Elevation Strategy, adding Braehead — which serves the UK’s largest retail spend catchment outside of London — to a strong and growing property portfolio across the UK”.
A few months ago, former owner SGS said Braehead had attracted a record number of visitors in the year ending June, with a year-on-year increase in footfall and spend by 4% and 3%, respectively, “outperforming regional and industry benchmark figures”.
And its tenants had committed to investing £10 million in their stores over the course of 2025 up to that point, “driven by demand from both new entrants and reinvestment from existing brands”, with 16 tenants renewing or extending leases so far in 2025.
CEO Michael Murray added on Thursday that the purchase “cements the group’s position as a leading operator and champion of physical retail destinations while unlocking greater opportunities to serve communities with the best brands, environments and experiences possible”.
Claire Barber, CEO of SGS UK Retail, also said: “The sale of Braehead was always part of our strategic plan and through active management, we have delivered substantial value enhancement and successfully stabilised the asset, attracting new brands and increasing its relevance and appeal to customers. We have created a strong platform from which Frasers Group can continue to drive growth, leveraging its retail expertise to further unlock Braehead’s potential as one of the leading retail destinations in Scotland.
“In light of strong leasing performance and the significant progress made in discussions with brands, we continue to see significant value creation opportunities in the group’s remaining three assets.”
Those assets are Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, Victoria Centre in Nottingham and Harlequin Watford.
Braehead had been owned by SGS since it took it over after the collapse of Intu Properties in 2020. There have been rumours for a while that it wanted to sell the centre (as well as rumours that Frasers has also been eyeing a big stake in Manchester’s Arndale mall).
While the purchase price wasn’t disclosed, the company certainly has enough cash to make big-league acquisitions. Back in July it announced new funding facilities that gave it access to borrowings of up to an aggregate amount of £3 billion.
Braehead isn’t the first Scottish shopping destination Frasers has acquired. It also bought Overgate Dundee back in 2023 and has invested heavily in it since then.
It has bought others across the UK too. Just over a year ago it confirmed full ownership of the 600,000 sq ft Princessshay Shopping Centre in Exeter, the 350,000 sq ft Fremlin Shopping Centre in Maidstone, Kent, and the 65,000 sq ft Olympus Centre retail park in Quedgeley, Gloucester.
That was just a month after it bought the St Nicholas Arcade (St Nics), the 160,000 sq ft shopping centre in Lancaster. It has also taken on Doncaster’s Frenchgate shopping centre, The Mall in Luton and Junction 32 on the outskirts of Leeds.
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Fashion
Switzerland’s Rieter orders steady at $907 mn amid cautious market
The components division generated CHF 193.5 million (~$249.6 million) in orders amid cautious investment in new machinery, while the After Sales division posted a 6 per cent increase to CHF 163.6 million, supported by expanded service networks and stronger activity in Central Asia and China.
Rieter has reported stable 2025 order intake of CHF 703.4 million (~$907.4 million) despite market uncertainty, while sales fell 20 per cent to CHF 685.1 million (~$883.8 million).
Cost controls delivered positive operating EBIT, but Barmag-related charges led to a net loss.
The Barmag acquisition expands fibre capabilities.
For 2026, Rieter projects CHF 1.3-1.5 billion ($1.68-1.94 billion) sales.
Group sales declined 20 per cent YoY to CHF 685.1 million (~$883.8 million) from CHF 859.1 million, reflecting subdued market demand. Sales in Machines and Systems dropped 23 per cent to CHF 329.1 million, Components fell 19 per cent to CHF 200.8 million, and After Sales decreased 17 per cent to CHF 155.2 million. Order backlog stood at around CHF 510 million at the end of 2025, Rieter said in a press release.
Despite weaker sales, Rieter achieved a positive operating EBIT of CHF 2.5 million through cost control measures. However, restructuring expenses and transaction costs related to the Barmag acquisition, totalling CHF 54.2 million, resulted in a net loss of CHF 63.4 million for the year compared with a net profit of CHF 10.4 million in 2024. Free cash flow turned negative at CHF 40.6 million, although net liquidity improved to CHF 184.3 million following a capital increase completed in October 2025.
Given the negative earnings, the board has proposed no dividend distribution while reaffirming its long-term policy of paying at least 40 per cent of net profit. The equity ratio strengthened to 53.3 per cent at the end of 2025, reflecting the capital raise linked to the acquisition.
Rieter completed the acquisition of Barmag on February 2, 2026, integrating the business as its new Man-Made Fiber Division. The move expands the company’s capabilities beyond short-staple fibre machinery, positioning it as a system supplier across natural and man-made fibre processing and strengthening technological capabilities in automation and digitisation.
The company expects at least CHF 20 million in synergies from the acquisition and has outlined new medium-term scenarios. Depending on market conditions, annual sales could range from CHF 1.4 billion with 2-5 per cent operating margins in a subdued environment to CHF 2.2 billion with margins of 8-11 per cent under strong demand.
For 2026, which Rieter described as a transition year, the group forecasts sales between CHF 1.3 billion and CHF 1.5 billion ($1.68-1.94 billion) and a positive operating EBIT margin of 0-3 per cent as integration and restructuring initiatives progress. Financing for the combined entity’s development is fully secured.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fashion
China’s sock exports at $6.7 bn, volume rises amid price sensitivity
According to *fashion.com/market-intelligence/texpro-textile-and-apparel/” target=”_blank”>sourcing intelligence tool TexPro, export volumes reached **.*** billion pairs in ****, up from **.*** billion pairs in **** and **.*** billion pairs in ****. This steady rise in shipments highlights China’s scale advantage and strong manufacturing ecosystem, enabling suppliers to push higher volumes into international markets even amid softer demand conditions and heightened price sensitivity among buyers.
Average export prices continued their downward trajectory, declining to $*.** per pair in **** from $*.** in ****, $*.** in **** and $*.** in ****. The sustained erosion in unit values suggests a combination of factors, including aggressive pricing competition, a shift towards lower-priced product mixes, and buyer efforts to optimise sourcing costs in an uncertain global consumption environment.
Fashion
Texwin Spinning showcasing premium cotton yarn range at VIATT 2026
At the exhibition, Texwin Spinning is showcasing its comprehensive range of cotton yarns, including combed compact yarn (Ne 16’s to 40’s) for weaving and knitting applications, carded compact yarn (Ne 16’s to 40’s), and high-performance components such as comber, flat and lickerin. The company manufactures its products using high-grade raw cotton in a fully automated facility, ensuring superior quality, strength, uniformity and consistency across textile processes.
“VIATT provides an excellent platform to connect with international buyers and industry stakeholders. We look forward to presenting our premium cotton yarn portfolio and strengthening our presence in the ASEAN and global markets,” Bhagya Chikani of Texwin Spinning told Fibre2Fashion.
Texwin Spinning Pvt Ltd is exhibiting at the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) 2026 which is being held in Ho Chi Minh City from February 26-28.
The company is showcasing its premium combed and carded compact cotton yarns (Ne 16’s-40’s) along with textile components, aiming to expand its footprint across ASEAN and global markets.
Positioned as ASEAN’s most comprehensive textile trade platform, VIATT covers the entire textile value chain, bringing together global stakeholders from apparel fabrics and fashion to home textiles, technical textiles and advanced manufacturing technologies. With a strong emphasis on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability through initiatives such as ‘Econogy’, the fair serves as a strategic business hub for the region’s textile and garment industry.
Established in 2021, Texwin Spinning Pvt Ltd is a Gujarat-based manufacturer of premium-quality cotton yarn. Headquartered in Rajkot, the company serves both domestic and export markets and is guided by “Quality Is Our Motto.” Through a strong commitment to quality standards, customer satisfaction and continuous growth, Texwin Spinning continues to strengthen its brand presence in the competitive textile industry.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)
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