Christmas cheer for outdoor brand

Surf and ski retailer Fat Face enjoyed sales growth of almost a third over the festive period.

Sales for the five weeks to January 1 were more than 30 per cent up on last year.

The retailer also reported sales growth of 34 per cent to £37.5 million for the 26 weeks to November last year, on profits of £5 million. The retailer opened 11 stores over that period, taking the total to 111 in the UK, Ireland and France. It also opened a franchise store in Iceland.

Fat Face chief executive Louise Barnes said: “This has been a very strong six months for Fat Face, with a new set of investors, Advent International. We have demonstrated both continued growth and the strength of our core business with a marked increase in profits for the half year. We are now reaping the benefits of the investment in the business over the past two years, with a significant improvement in our operating margin.

“Our Christmas trading has been good, against a very strong comparative, and we are pleased with the progress of the business to date.”

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