Ethel Austin should be a household name. It has, after all, 305 stores and has been in business since 1934 when the late Ethel Austin, a Liverpudlian housewife, used her knitting skills to launch herself into the retail trade. But the chain remains the high street’s woman of mystery.

There has been little publicity over its recent troubles, including its refinancing in August after a profits slump.

Some of the money for this new drive came from a division of ABN AMRO, the bank that is now itself part of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Now ABN AMRO, Credit Suisse, another banking giant, and EOS Partners, a New York investment firm, together own most of Ethel Austin. Could the founder have ever imagined the shop she started in her front parlour would move in such circles?

In the wake of the refinancing, the chain is still pursuing its ambition to be a major player in cut-price fast-fashion, pitting itself against New Look, Peacocks, Primark and the supermarket labels who, arguably, already have the market sewn up between them. Its target customers will be “young, stylish women with children”, the latterday equivalents of the woman who started it all, in other words.

The name of this Anita Roddick of the Thirties may have been updated in the company logo – now ethelaustin. But her legacy endures in the desire to be a neighbourhood chain. This preference is one reason for the chain’s low profile: fast-fashion fans without a local store are left in ignorance. Indeed, before I took the number 207 bendy bus last Saturday to West Ealing – the nearest outlet to my own neighbourhood – the closest I had been to the chain was the odd sighting of one of its vans.

The Broadway, West Ealing, may supply most of the necessities of everyday living, but fashion is not among them. The smallish New Look and Peacock branches were, apparently, not thought worthy of the pieces that feature in high-street best-buys spreads in the fashion weeklies.

Ethel Austin was also lacking in the styles of autumn, although the staff expected deliveries soon. Almost the only acknowledgement of the season was a display of children’s Hallowe’en outfits.

The “young, stylish” mother was a forgotten woman. The shop seemed also to be at the back of the queue in the company’s £6 million makeover programme; there was no changing room, for example. Reduced summer tops crammed the rails leaving room only for basics such as Ugg-alike boots (£10), or sub-Juicy Couture velour tracksuit bottoms (£8).

However, a determined search of summer leftovers did reveal a useful long-sleeved grey top (reduced to £3). And the shelves behind the cash desk also held a small stock of up-scale scents, including Stella McCartney’s Stella (£26 for 30ml). This exemplified Ethel Austin’s aspiration for a more stylish future. I will take the 207 to West Ealing again to see if this proves to be the next phase of its history.

The links in the chain

Ethel Austin’s pretax profits in the year to September 2006 were £177,000 on sales of £158.2 million

Retail is detail

Layout: in need of a facelift 4/10
Staff: helpful 8/10
Bags: plain but serviceable 5/10
Overall score: aims to be stylish, but doesn’t quite deliver 6/10

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