TM Lewin, the British shirtmaker long associated with formal menswear, is seeking to rebuild its physical retail presence following significant store closures during the pandemic. The company plans to open two new outlets next month—in Victoria, central London, and at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent—as part of a cautious expansion strategy focused on key locations.
Once operating over 150 stores at its peak in the mid-2010s, TM Lewin shuttered all 66 of its shops in 2020 amid the rise of remote working and pandemic-related restrictions. After entering administration twice in less than two years, the business was acquired by Torque Brands, affiliated with the US private equity firm Stonebridge. Since then, the company has been gradually reopening stores, with recent openings in Bow Lane, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, the O2 Arena, and St Albans.
Dan Ferris, managing director since January 2025, said the company is concentrating on a smaller, more profitable physical footprint. “We can get a lot of bang for our buck out of just getting those top-performing locations alongside a strong online presence,” he said, noting that a full return to the previous store count is unlikely due to the high cost of prime retail space and changing consumer habits.
Founded in 1898 by Geoffrey James Lewin and Thomas Mayes Lewin on Panton Street, London, TM Lewin established itself on Jermyn Street by 1903, a historic centre for English shirtmaking. The company supplied uniforms during the First World War and maintained production in Southend, Essex, until the late 1980s before shifting manufacturing overseas.
Recent years have seen TM Lewin adjust its product strategy multiple times. Initially diversifying into resort wear and casual apparel, the company has refocused on its core offerings of formal shirts and suits, complemented by knitwear and T-shirts. Ferris describes the current product mix as roughly balanced between formal and casual items, reflecting shifts in workplace dress codes.
He highlighted a resurgence in demand for smarter clothing, driven by occasions such as weddings and the hybrid work environment. This is mirrored in a reported 200% increase in tie sales during the summer compared with the previous year. “The tie has died about ten times now and then it keeps coming back,” Ferris remarked, pointing to customers often adding ties as complementary purchases to suits.
Matt Stallard, head of buying, noted wardrobe needs now blend formal and casual wear, accommodating fluctuating work arrangements. Physical stores play an important role in showcasing the full range and enabling customers to assemble coordinated outfits. Ferris emphasized that stores provide opportunities to promote cross-category sales more effectively than the online channel alone.
Nevertheless, reopening and operating physical shops remain financially challenging due to elevated rents and business rates. Ferris called for governmental measures to ease these fixed costs and urged support for retail employment and training, especially for young workers starting their careers.
“We haven’t cracked it yet; we are still working on that,” Ferris said of the in-store experience and coordinated wardrobe approach, expressing optimism that refining this strategy over the next year will underpin TM Lewin’s success as it navigates a changed retail landscape.