Ratner to make high street comeback

THE British jewellery shop boss who branded one of his own products as "crap" is set to make a high street comeback - starting with an outlet in Dublin. Gerald Ratner, who has been away from the UK retail scene for more than a decade, is planning to sell diamond jewellery in House of Fraser department stores. Mr Ratner sparked a media storm in 1992 when he described a sherry decanter sold by his company as "total crap" in a 30-minute speech to 6,000 directors at the Royal Albert Hall. The gaffe, which Mr Ratner later described as a "jokey reference", cost him his personal fortune, his job, wiped an estimated ?750m off the company's value and turned profits of ?180m into a ?180m loss. Ratners was rebranded as Signet in 1993. Mr Ratner is now negotiating a deal that would see the launch of jewellery concessions in each of House of Fraser's stores. The first is expected to open in the department store chain's new outlet in Dublin next spring.