Top brand boosts profit

THE popularity of the Top Shop brand in Ireland helped the store’s owners increase its profit here by 30% last year.

The Irish arm of the Arcadia group, which also operates Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Top Man here, increased its profit before tax from £11.6 million (€12.4m) to £15.1m (€16.1m) in the year to the end of August 2008. Turnover grew 5% to £72m (€77m) while retained profit was £13.3m, up from £10.2m in 2007.

“Whilst the retailing environment in Ireland remains highly competitive, the company has benefited from the continuing popularity of the Top Shop brand and the strength of the euro relative to sterling,” the directors’ report reads.