Fashion retailer "New Look" up for sale: report

LONDON (Reuters) - Privately-owned British fashion retailer New Look may be sold for 2 billion pounds ($3.91 billion) after private-equity firms Apax and Permira received at least three bid approaches for the firm, The Sunday Times said.

While The Sunday Times cited City sources familiar with the situation, that the deal would likely come in the form of a secondary buyout, The Mail on Sunday said in a separate report that the retailer would plan a 2 billion pound flotation.

No one at New Look, Permira or Apax could be reached immediately to comment.

New Look's Chief Executive Phil Wrigley already said in January the fashion retailer could make a return to the London stockmarket this year and that it would talk to Apax, Permira and founder Tom Singh in March about plans for the business.

Permira and Apax are major shareholders of New Look after it had been taken private for 700 million pounds three years ago .