Back in the saddle, Philip Green prepares to storm the High Street

The billionaire entrepreneur has been rallying his troops for the next bout in his quest to snatch market share from M&S and other High Street rivals.

Speaking to staff at the Bhs annual conference Mr Green pledged to boost sales at his department stores by 28%.

Bhs will spend up to �3m on a TV advertising campaign this Christmas.

In July the spurned retailer vowed to wage a High Street war on M&S after abandoning his �9.1bn ($16.9bn) takeover approach.

Mr Green bowed out after he failed to gain the cooperation of M&S's board to allow him to study the firm's accounts.

As the dust settled, however, Mr Green fired another salvo, saying his group would do battle in a High Street "judgement day" with M&S.

Challenge

Now, two months later, refreshed and sporting his trademark Monaco suntan, Mr Green claims his 162-store Bhs can boost its sales to �250 per square foot, up from �200.

M&S has sales of �559 per square foot.

We're not out there specifically competing with Marks & Spencer, we're competing with everybody Philip Green

"That's the challenge, that's where we've got to get to, that means we'll really be motoring," he told the gathering of more than 250 store managers and head office staff.

Bhs's advertising campaign will be its first since Mr Green took over the department store chain in 2000.

The "Feel Bhs" campaign will lock horns with M&S's new "Your M&S" drive.

Fifty of its top stores will be revamped by October at a cost of about �20m, Mr Green announced.

And, throwing down the gauntlet at M&S's Per Una range and Asda's George range, Bhs has hired Stephanie Chen, formerly design director of Debenhams, to head its womenswear department.

Ambitions

Philip Green, who also owns the Dorothy Perkins and Top Shop stores, defended his attempt to take control of M&S.

"We would never jeopardise this business or any other business or anybody's livelihood for an ego trip," he said.

But he made his retail ambitions crystal clear.

"We're not out there specifically competing with Marks & Spencer, we're competing with everybody," he stated.

M&S has declined to respond directly to Philip Green's initiatives.