The business prospects of Ted Baker have been in turmoil since 2019 when the company’s founder, Ray Kelvin, resigned after allegations of “forced hugging”, and by March this year its UK arm had entered administration.
However, from a fashion perspective, the writing had been on the wall for much longer. The announcement at the weekend that the brand’s remaining 31 stores will close, putting 500 jobs at risk, will leave most in the industry compelled to do little more than shrug. In many ways, it is a surprise it held on this long.
