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Tribune News Network
Doha
Doha-based Al Mana group is considering opening new BHS department store branches in the United Kingdom after buying the brand as part of its deal for the international and online business, according to a report in The Guardian.
The last 22 BHS stores around UK closed on Sunday, drawing down the curtain on the 88-year history of the retailer, which started its first store in Brixton, south London.
The report said that Al Mana is looking for a partner that could operate the stores in the UK, potentially through a franchise model.
The stores would most likely be positioned as more upmarket than BHS before its collapse and only a handful would be opened, said the report quoting sources close to the company.
Al Mana runs stores for Harvey Nichols, Zara and Mango in the Middle East. In June it bought 70 overseas BHS stores and the online business, which employs around 150 people, out of administration. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"The group's vast expertise, global reach and experience in retail will benefit this new acquisition into a steady and profitable operation," read a statement on Al Mana's website following its purchase of BHS in June.
"Al Mana intends to enhance the retail offer, expand into new territories and develop the online presence of the brand," the statement said.
BHS collapsed into administration in April, leading to the loss of around 11,000 jobs and leaving a pension deficit of A£571 million.
Despite BHS's struggles, the international and online divisions were considered the best-performing parts of the retailer, the newspaper report said.
