MorphCostumes, the manufacturer and online fancy dress retailer behind the Morphsuit, has bought Leeds-based costume business Fun Shack.
The Edinburgh-headquartered firm said it is the first step in a plan that will mean continued growth from a base of over £12 million in 2018, up from £9m in 2017.
Fun Shack designs, makes and sells a range of costumes through Amazon and other online retailers, as well as through a network of over 200 shops.
It was founded by Jeffrey Fearnley and Harvey Felstone in 2008 and has grown its annual revenues to £3m and its headcount to 12 staff.
MorphCostumes said it plans to export Fun Shack’s costumes – which are primarily available in the UK – through its existing international distribution channels, targeting countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the US.
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Fraser Smeaton, chief executive at MorphCostumes, said: “Fun Shack has been on our radar for the past couple of years thanks to its range of good-quality costumes. They make outfits that are classics – they never go out of style."
Strong demand for its non-alcoholic beer helped Heineken notch up the best sales growth for its flagship lager in over a decade as drinkers continue to shift towards healthier options.
The world's second largest brewer said sales of its leading brand rose 7.7% by volume in 2018, helped by the growing success of Heineken 0.0 as it rolled out the zero-alcohol tipple to 38 markets worldwide.
Shares in the Netherlands-listed group rose 5 per cent as it also reported a forecast-beating 12.5% jump in annual net profits to 2.42 billion euros (£2.1bn) and gave a bullish outlook for the year ahead.
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On an underlying basis, operating profits rose 6.4% to 3.87bn euros (£3.4bn).
Heineken said sales by volume of its low and no-alcohol lagers Heineken 0.0 and Radler saw "mid-single digit" growth, with a "high single digit" rise across Europe, including the UK.
The firm is planning to expand Heineken 0.0 to further markets over the year ahead, having more than doubled the brand's global reach since 2017.
Builder Galliford Try has warned over a potential "severe" hit to consumer confidence and disrupted imports of critical materials if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.
The Linden Homes owner said the impact could be felt in the new-build property market in particular.
It said it was putting in place contingency plans to ensure supply of materials, but stressed it could not protect itself entirely.
The group said: "If the UK leaves without a deal the biggest impact we foresee is the effect on our markets, and on Linden Homes' market in particular, of a potential severe decline in consumer confidence and economic activity in general.
"We believe our business planning is as prepared as possible for this uncertainty."
It added: "We have made specific arrangements where we foresee the potential for disruption to the import of critical materials and products, though noting that it is impractical to try to insulate our business entirely."
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