Barrington Johnson Lorains hired to rebrand Littlewoods

Littlewoods Stores has appointed Barrington Johnson Lorains & Partners to test rebranding the chain as Berketex.

The Manchester-based agency won the 3m above- and below-the-line account after a four-way pitch. CDP had held the account since 1995. Barrington Johnson’s other clients include Granada Leisure, Pilkington Glass and the Co-operative Retail Society.

Earlier this year, Littlewoods – the UK’s largest private company – attempted to sell its 135 stores, but only managed to dispose of 19, which Marks & Spencer bought last month. The remainder are likely to be rebranded, as the Berketex scheme rolls out in 1999.

Last week news broke that the Littlewoods’ home shopping arm has struck a deal with the Burton Group that will result in Littlewoods catalogues selling products from Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop, Top Man, Principles, Evans and Burton Menswear.

The merged operation will have access to the customer databases of both companies, totalling 6 million customers.

Barrington Johnson has won the 1m Little Chef account back from Clark & Taylor.