A NORTH-EAST fashion retailer which became a national success story is undergoing a £4m overhaul in a bid to take on the big boys in the menswear market.

Discount retailer The Officers Club today unveils its ambitious plans to move upmarket and into direct competition with high street retailing giants such as Next and Gap.

Managing director David Glazebrook admitted that the move was "hugely ambitious", but said it was time for the company to move on.

"A business has to evolve and change," he said.

"It is a huge investment, but we are very confident that it will make the environment in stores far more customer-friendly."

It will see the firm fighting for a slice of the lucrative middle market, which represents 70 per cent of all menswear sales, instead of scrapping for a share of the value market, which only counts for 15 per cent.

"The value or discount market is becoming swamped - it is getting very aggressive and more price-driven, but not necessarily quality-driven," said Mr Glazebrook.

"You have to offer quality at value and also an environment people are happy to shop in."

The firm, which started in Sunderland in 1992, successfully exploited a niche in the market by offering named brands at large discounts, with its now famous "70 per cent off" slogan.

It hopes to build on its an annual turnover of more than £100m, taking on established High Street outlets such as Next by offering the same discount scheme on middle-market labels.

The makeover sees the chain move away from its 'rack-em-and-stack-em' approach in store, to a more well-lit, spacious and accessible design, to attract those middle-market buyers.

It follows a successful pilot project in Edinburgh earlier this year.

The £4m revamp starts today with the opening of the company's store in Croydon, South London and will be rolled out to all of its 192 stores over the next two years. The first outlet in the region to get the new look will be the Gateshead MetroCentre.

And the company is keeping its North-East ties for its advertising campaign. Tyneside-based model Adam Clarke, 29, will be the new face of the business.