Fashion label Ted Baker brightened a generally gloomy retail picture by revealing its sales were up by more than one-fifth on a year earlier.
The designer brand, which initially launched as a shirt specialist in Glasgow, said it was particularly pleased with its UK performance, but also credited the 22% sales surge in the 13 weeks to November 10 on shop openings in department stores in mainland Europe and further afield.
The sales boost at Ted Baker, which has 180 shops in the UK including concessions, is in contrast to the general gloom on the UK high street after the Office of National Statistics said sales volumes dropped 0.8% last month as consumers tightened their belts.
Ted Baker said its e-commerce business had continued to perform well, while there was also a 14.2% increase in sales from its wholesale business, which supplies Ted Baker products to other shops.
Jean Roche, analyst at Panmure Gordon, said the strengthening of Ted Baker's core UK business with the brand's inter-national potential was a "killer combination".
In the last quarter the group opened concessions in the US, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Germany, increasing its global footprint by 13.7% on a year earlier to 270,000 sq ft in the 13 weeks to November 10.
However, it said its expansion plan at renowned New York department store Bloomingdales was disrupted when Hurricane Sandy hit the US east coast.
The retailer also plans to open its first shop in Toronto in Canada and further shops in Shanghai in the coming months.
Ray Kelvin, founder and chief executive of Ted Baker, said he was "very encouraged" by the reaction to the brands and collections in new markets, but warned the group's full-year results would be dependent on trading over the key Christmas period.
The company still has a store in Glasgow plus a concession in the Frasers department store in the city. It also has a concession in Jenners in Edinburgh plus an outlet store in Livingston. West Lothian.
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