BRAITWhile the British people are attempting to make up their minds whether they want to remain in the warm embrace of their Continental cousins or plunge into the unknown waters that are offered by Brexit, Brait’s shareholders may not be too unhappy to note that their company has done a Brexit all of its own.It has shifted its focus and the great bulk of its assets from the sunny skies and political challenges of the South to markets where the beer might be warm but at least the currency is solid.Of the group’s asset base, 45% is in fashion retailer New Look, 23% in Virgin Active and 9% in Iceland; the 15% in Premier is the only significant chunk that is still struggling along in rand.New Look is based largely in the UK, which is far from being an uncompetitive market, as the recent demise of the BHS department store chain demonstrates.New Look is launching a major push into China, with 85 stores spread across 20 provinces and 40 cities, as opposed to 19 stores at the end of the 20...
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