UK-based Debenhams Group (also called Boohoo) has confirmed that it is planning a fundraise of around £35 million (~$47.58 million) to ‘create additional liquidity’ and deliver the ‘optimal capital structure’ for the group.

The stock exchange release was issued in response to speculation around a planned fundraise for the business.

UK-based Debenhams Group has confirmed that it is planning a fundraise of around £35 million (~$47.58 million) to ‘create additional liquidity’ and deliver the ‘optimal capital structure’ for the group.
This followed speculation around a planned fundraise for the business.
It expects to speak to its institutional shareholders over the next few days, after which the fundraise will be launched.

The firm’s chief executive officer Dan Finley, its co-founder and executive chairman Mahmud Kamani and non-executive director Iain McDonald all intend to participate in the fundraise.

The company expects to speak to its institutional shareholders over the next few days, after which the fundraise will be launched.

It said it is confident of delivering £50 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in this fiscal (FY26), which closes on February 28. It also remains confident of double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth in FY27.

The company said its ‘turnaround plan is going apace’ and the decision to move to an increasingly asset-light model driven by the Debenhams brand seems to have been a good one.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

The Asia Pacific logistics sector entered February 2026 amid a broad post-Lunar New Year slowdown, with easing demand and expanding capacity exerting pressure across ocean, air, and land freight markets. The Intra-Asia Container Index fell 3 per cent in mid-month to $557 per 40-foot container, around 17 per cent below year-ago levels, reflecting seasonal weakness, according to the latest Transport Intelligence (Ti) logistics monitor.

Ocean freight conditions softened across major trade lanes as muted cargo demand and expanding fleet capacity pushed spot rates downward. Transpacific routes from Asia to the US experienced notable declines, with some carriers reportedly offering prices near or below breakeven levels. Rates on Asia–Europe corridors, including the Shanghai–Rotterdam route, also trended lower, reinforcing the cooling market environment.

Shipping lines intensified capacity management strategies to counter the downturn, increasing the frequency of blank sailings. Meanwhile, operational challenges persisted, with congestion reported at key transhipment hubs such as Singapore, Shanghai, and Ningbo, resulting in delays of two to four days. Structural changes within global carrier alliances continued to reshape service networks, including the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd and the reconfigured Premier Alliance comprising ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM.

Asia Pacific logistics softened in February 2026 amid a post-Lunar New Year slowdown, with intra-Asia container rates down 3 per cent and ocean freight weakening across major lanes.
Air cargo eased but stayed resilient.
Meanwhile, road disruptions, policy initiatives, and sustained investment in logistics infrastructure underscored ongoing regional supply chain transformation.

Industry developments during the month included Hapag-Lloyd’s agreement to acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services for $4.2 billion, signalling consolidation momentum within container shipping. The Red Sea security situation continued to influence routing decisions, with some carriers cautiously evaluating partial returns to the Suez Canal while many services remained diverted around the Cape of Good Hope. In India, the government reviewed progress on Chennai Port projects and advanced the Bharat Container Line initiative to enhance domestic shipping capacity.

Air cargo markets displayed a parallel seasonal moderation after a pre-holiday surge in volumes. Spot rates eased but remained above year-earlier levels, reflecting persistent structural capacity tightness. Shipment volumes from Asia Pacific to the US edged up slightly, while flows to Europe remained broadly stable. Notably, chargeable weight from Vietnam to Europe increased 10 per cent week on week in week six, driven by resilient high-tech and e-commerce demand.

Regional pricing trends varied, with Shanghai outbound rates softening yet maintaining year-on-year gains, while Hong Kong remained comparatively firm. Southeast Asian origins such as Vietnam and Thailand recorded rate improvements on Europe routes, highlighting ongoing supply chain diversification under the China+1 strategy. Airlines continued reallocating freighter capacity towards Asia–Europe lanes, which have experienced sustained growth.

Long-term supply constraints persisted due to aircraft delivery backlogs extending into the next decade, although global capacity rose around 4–5 per cent in early 2026 through expanded passenger bellyhold availability. Infrastructure developments supported specialised cargo handling, including Shanghai Pudong’s attainment of multi-category IATA CEIV certification. Network connectivity also expanded through new interline agreements and freighter route launches linking Europe and Asia.

Road freight and intermodal transport reflected a complex mix of seasonal disruption and structural expansion. Trucking availability in China dropped sharply during the holiday week beginning February 17, with inland logistics expected to take several weeks to normalise. Policy initiatives such as China’s expanded Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) transit coverage for bonded and e-commerce goods enabled new cross-border routes from Kashgar to Uzbekistan and Pakistan, reducing transit times and costs.

Multimodal momentum continued as the Alataw Pass hub dispatched its 1,000th China–Europe freight train of the year ahead of the previous schedule, underscoring strengthening Eurasian rail connectivity. Holiday-related congestion affected trucking corridors in Vietnam, while Malaysia imposed temporary heavy-vehicle restrictions to manage traffic flows. Border facilitation measures, including China’s fast-track lane for foreign truck drivers at the Vietnam frontier, aimed to improve cross-border efficiency.

Across Asia, governments and industry players advanced logistics infrastructure and policy frameworks. India announced plans for a new East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Dankuni and Surat, while South Korea reinstated the Safe Rates system to stabilise trucking conditions. Japan progressed collaborative relay transport models, expanded foreign workforce recruitment to address driver shortages, and continued autonomous truck testing on the Shin-Tomei Expressway.

Warehousing and logistics real estate investment remained robust throughout the region. Transactions included Nippon Express acquiring a stake in Pakistan’s TCS Logistics, institutional investment in Yokohama’s Sachiura Distribution Centre, and Cabot Properties’ entry into the Japanese logistics market. Additional projects spanned Australia and Japan, while China witnessed ongoing logistics Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) activity led by CapitaLand Investment and Prologis.

India’s logistics sector also attracted significant investment and policy support, including Bertelsmann’s majority acquisition of Lets Transport, Logistics Plus’ purchase of EVO Supply Chain Solutions, new warehouse development approvals in Nagpur, and Kuehne+Nagel’s container freight station near JNPA. South Korea reported strong logistics property investment momentum driven by foreign capital inflows.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

Tariffs, inflation, and value-oriented purchasing: it is in this context that the mid-market is establishing itself as a new driver for the fashion industry.

Lectra, a leading provider of Industry 4.0 solutions for the fashion, automotive, and furniture industries, analysed data from Retviews, its artificial intelligence-based solution specialising in competitive intelligence and automatic benchmarking, to identify the trends and pricing strategies that brands are implementing in the Fall/Winter 2025/2026 season to cope with an ever-changing macroeconomic scenario. 

“Brand strategies reflect market challenges. Today, product ranges are becoming more streamlined and collections are curated in a more intentional way. At the same time, discounting strategies are shifting: discount rates are decreasing, but promotional periods are becoming longer, as brands aim to preserve pricing power without losing momentum in a market marked by cautious consumer spending,” says Antonella Capelli, President EMEA at Lectra. “Leveraging advanced technologies to obtain and interpret current market insights is now essential for optimising strategies, ensuring consistency with consumer expectations, and, at the same time, guaranteeing solid commercial performance and efficient inventory management. At Lectra, our mission is to support brands in their digital transformation journey by providing tools and solutions that enable truly informed, data-driven decisions.”

Mid-market fashion brands are adopting premium strategies in FW25/26, with European prices rising up to 50 per cent YoY.
Accessories and handbags saw the sharpest gains, while denim and footwear posted moderate growth.
Brands are shifting towards lower but longer discount cycles to preserve pricing power amid tariffs, inflation, and cautious consumer spending.

The mid-market drives profits in fashion

In fashion, business models are undergoing a profound transformation. Mass-market players, which have always competed more directly with low-cost e-commerce giants, are facing increasing pressure due to rising costs and greater inventory risk. These factors, combined with consumers’ focus on value and product quality, mean that the fast-fashion model, characterised by very high volumes and vast assortments, has begun to show signs of slowing down.

It is therefore the mid-market that stands out as the most dynamic and growing segment, even surpassing luxury as a driver of value in the sector. To distinguish themselves from the traditional mass market, mid-market brands are also moving towards a more premium positioning, thanks to more refined designs, more carefully curated assortments, and more ambitious pricing strategies.

Inflation and the effect of tariffs in the “K-economy”

In the UK, consumer price inflation (CPI) reached 3.4% in December 2025¹, keeping shoppers cautious and price-sensitive as they plan discretionary spend.

On the other hand, tariffs introduced by the United States, with rates between 15% and 50%, have increased import costs, forcing brands to make selective price increases that risk further weakening demand. 

These dynamics mean that brands are faced with the so-called “K-economy,” a dichotomy in which high-income consumers continue to buy, even increasing their spending, while others reduce it. For brands, this translates into the need to review their pricing and promotional strategies to meet the needs of different consumer segments and, above all, the lower segments that represent the main consumer base for retail.

The premium trend continues for mass brands, with more moderate but longer-lasting discounts

The trend that began in 2025, which sees mass brands moving towards a premium identity, is confirmed. This is demonstrated by the arrival of former creative directors from luxury fashion houses in high-street brand teams, as well as collaborations with prestigious designers to create dedicated capsule collections.

These choices strengthen positioning while justifying higher price points: the Retviews study highlights how, compared to 2024, mid-market brands increased prices by +50% in Europe in 2025, even doubling them in the United States.

Promotional dynamics also confirm strategies aimed at protecting price integrity while maintaining attractiveness, with more moderate but longer-lasting discounts. In Europe, for example, in the period September-December 2025, average discount levels and the number of products with reduced prices were lower than in the same period in previous years.

Price trends by product category

For the Fall/Winter 2025/2026 season, the Retviews study shows a general increase in prices for both Europe and the United States. However, not all product categories have increased to the same extent:

• Denim (+9% in Europe, +20% in the United States)

From low-rise to bootcut styles, jeans have historically been a universal garment for all styles and genders. This year, their timeless appeal is proving resilient, with increases in both prices and assortments year-on-year.

• Winter footwear (+9% in Europe, +19% in the United States)

Footwear prices rose significantly in all markets. The main driving factor was growth in the mass market segment, particularly among design-led mid-market brands. This repositioning strengthened pricing power, especially in categories such as footwear, where brands are leaning into highervalue product mixes. The popularity of typical fall and winter styles (such as cowboy-style western boots) has further contributed to price increases, prompting many brands to raise their price lists to capitalize on demand.

• Coats and jackets (+11% in Europe, +13% in the United States)

A must-have for the Fall/Winter season, jackets are not only seeing price increases, but also a significant expansion in the range, with fur jackets, high-necked trench coats, and leather styles making a comeback in response to growing demand for versatile yet bold garments.

• Accessories and lucky charms (+15% in Europe, +16% in the United States)

While consumers continue to prefer timeless bags, charms offer a more accessible way to personalize their look, making this micro-category particularly dynamic. Thanks to their high perceived value relative to price, accessories favor moderate price increases, which consumers are more likely to accept. It is therefore not surprising that mass-market and mid-market brands are following the example of luxury brands, which have significantly expanded the presence of bag charms in their collections, with an increase of more than 50% year-on-year in the European market.

• Handbags (+33% in Europe, +38% in the United States)

Handbags are experiencing a real boom in the mass “mid” market, driven largely by the influence of social media, where luxury fashion houses dictate trends that are then reinterpreted in the collections of major brands. In this context, the category is experiencing significant growth, with an increase in assortment presence of +27% in Europe and +10% in the United States.

Methodological note: the percentage data refer to the periods between September 1 and December 1, 2025, and the same periods for previous years.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (MS)