Long Tall Sally to cease trading after 44 years

Long Tall Sally, the specialist fashion brand for tall women, has announced that it will cease trading after 44 years in business.

The company's COO Alison Doherty wrote to customers to break the news saying the brand had relied heavily on shareholder support – it is owned by German direct-to-consumer retailer TriStyle Mode – but that it had been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.

All of its website and mail order operations in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia will be wound down. Its stores in the UK, Germany and the US had been closed as part of a previous cost-cutting round.

In her communication, Doherty said: “The changing economics of retail, along with fierce competition have hit us hard. Trading has been incredibly challenging and we’ve relied heavily on shareholder support to bolster LTS. The very sudden and very profound impact of COVID-19 has further weakened our position.

“The economic outlook is now too uncertain for our shareholders to continue to support the business so it’s with a very heavy heart that I must tell you we will be winding down Long Tall Sally. Please know we explored every possible avenue to continue trading, but the financial impact of the pandemic means the business is no longer sustainable.”

The news has been met with dismay by its customers who rely upon it for quality clothing that fits a taller frame. The brand has a 4.3 out of 5 stars rating on Trustpilot and some customers have take to the feedback forum to express their sadness at the news.

"I really hope that things will turn around and it would not come to this. I don't know where I am going to go to buy my clothes especially where Long Tall Sally exclusively provides tailored made clothing lines and there lovely selection of shoes for tall people," said one.

It is possible the brand could yet be saved as it is rumoured the owners will continue to look for a buyer until the operations are wound down in August.