Fashion brands among UK's most inspirational, according to new report

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Feb 24, 2016

The London Stock Exchange Group's list of "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" is now out, and it has a few familiar retail names on it.

The list looks at the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses across the UK, and the 1000 brands included are expanding at an average of 50% per year. Among the retail brands are Childrensalon, the designer kidswear retailer, Liam Gallagher's fashion brand Pretty Green, womenswear chain Roman, etailer SecretSales, leisurewear brand Sweaty Beatty and The Hut Group.

The retail sector has around three million employees and sales in 2015 totaled £333bn, making it a "powerhouse" in the UK economy, the London Stock Exchange Group said. Online is increasingly important - the projected value of online sales in the UK in 2019 is £86.96bn.

Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange Group commented:
“High growth SMEs are the driving force behind the UK economy, developing the skills, jobs and growth we need. But ambition alone is not enough; their success must be highlighted and their growth properly supported with appropriate finance. That’s why today’s event is so important: demonstrating the strong alliance between UK Government, financial market participants, investors, entrepreneurs and companies to support these inspiring businesses."