Ted Baker posts sales up 17.7%

British fashion brand Ted Baker has posted sales up 17.7% at £456.2m for the year ended 30 January 2016, while pre-tax profit was up 20.3% at £58.7m. International expansion and solid trading, “despite an uncertain backdrop in some markets” have propelled the brand forward in the past 12 months, said founder Ray Kelvin.

In the past 12 months Ted Baker has added stores in Amsterdam, Azerbaijan, Hawaii, Mexico and Qatar, acquired its central London HQ, the so-called Ugly Brown Building, and opened a new European distribution centre in the UK.

Ted Baker’s positioning in the “bridge” between the high street and designer markets, its attention to detail on design (often its designs feature quirky, unexpected details) and its experiential stores have all conspired to enhance the brand’s appeal in its home market and abroad.

“The strength and success of Ted Baker is underpinned by the skill, talent and ‘pashion’ of our global team,” said Kelvin, who founded the business as in 1988 with a store in Glasgow. Today the company has 448 stores and concessions globally (185 are in the UK) and still has ambition to expand further.

The brand has also expanded widely to create a full lifestyle offer. It began life as a men’s shirt specialist but now offers a full range of men’s and womenswear, kidswear, homewear, skincare, fragrance, footwear, luggage, watches and gifting among other categories.