Ted Baker's finance director Lindsay Page said the fashion group's focus on delivering affordable quality helped it overcome a difficult UK retail market to deliver strong underlying sales growth last year, and would underpin further international expansion in 2013.
Sales rose 14.9 per cent to £215.6m, ahead of the 6.6 per cent increase in retail space. A 69 per cent increase in US sales and steady growth from licence partners in the Middle East supported Mr Page's view that the Ted Baker brand "travelled well". Recent openings in Hong Kong and Japan will be followed by three new stores in China this year, although related set-up costs meant reported pre-tax profits were flat at £24.3m. Pre-exceptional pre-tax profits climbed 11.7 per cent to £27.1m, and are expected to grow 9 per cent to £29.5m this year, giving EPS of 50p.
