Boots, Adams in childrenswear deal

BOOTS is to team up with childrenswear specialist Adams to overhaul its clothing range. High Street retailer Adams will create a new brand for children, from infants up to four years old, which will be available exclusively through Boots stores.

The brand will be available in more than 200 Boots stores from January 2003, and is expected to have annual sales of around £20m.

The partnership is Adams' first such venture and follows Boots' decision to work with a specialist provider, as it focuses on its core health and beauty products. David Kneale, director of trading at Boots, said: 'Children's clothing remains an important part of our overall offer. However this initiative allows us to tap into new thinking and innovative design while freeing up Boots to focus on our core strengths.' Their agreement runs until 2005.

Adams will provide a childrenswear merchandising specialist for each store, plus a dedicated support team, creating 220 new jobs. The Boots workforce is not affected.