mainstreamCasual trousers were the biggest-selling category at indies polled, but below that suits seemed to be making a surprise return after a number of years of decline. This trend helped suit specialist Brook Taverner hold on to a healthy position as the second best-selling brand of the week, behind only Gurteen

Top 10 Best-selling brands of the week

1 Gurteen2 Brook Taverner3 Meyer4 Magee5 olymp6 Camel Active7 Douglas8 Weird Fish9 Fynch-Hatton10 Remus Uomo

Top 5Best-selling categories of the week

1 Casual trousers2 Suits3 Jackets4 Casual shirts5 Knitwear

Top 5Best-selling casual shirt brands of the week

1 Eterna2 Fynch-Hatton3 Melka4 Gant5 Gabicci

Quickfire questions

Which brand do you think has the most growth potential?

1 Brook Taverner2 Gurteen3 olymp 4 Remus Uomo5 Fynch-Hatton

Which brand do you think is declining in importance?

1 peter England2 Lyle & Scott3 Gabicci

If you have placed repeat orders, which brands have you placed them with?

1 Meyer2 Weird Fish3 Brook Taverner

How long have you occupied your current premises?

Average 50 years

How do your first-quarter takings compare with the same period last year?

Up 36%Same 28%Down 36%

We’ve had fewer customers but we’ve had more salesPeter Lewis, owner of Bryn Lewis in Swansea

Walk in the park: Gurteen spring 11

Full of potential: Brook Taverner

of indies polled have placed repeat orders for spring 11

46%

We would have put in repeat orders, but we need all our deliveries firstGrant Mitchell, managing director of Cooper & McKenzie in Dundee

Three lines of text here please three lines few words here please

00%Better

00% Same

00%Worse

Fashion in figures

52%Better

16% Same

32%Worse

Total week’s takings

Average spend

DATE:week ending march 25 2011

+1.4% Year-on-year change

£5,801TOTAL:

What were the total sales in your store this week?

What was the average spend per customer in your store this week?

Date:week ending march 25 2011

Average:

£95.52

How does your week’s business compare with this time last year?

April 8 2011 Drapers 11

Drapers spoke to 50 independents about their mainstream menswear business for the week ending March 25. Brands and styles mentioned in the lists, including the Top 10 and Top 5, are ranked when mentioned by five or more retailers

indicator

menswearMenSwear trenDSTo catch up with all the latest menswear trends, go towww.drapersonline.com/ trends/menswear

of indies polled have seen a year-on-year drop in footfall

44%