Ted Baker pleased with half-year showing

Fashion chain Ted Baker today said half-year profits remained at £7m (€10m) after contrasting fortunes for its retail and wholesale divisions.

The chain’s high street estate delivered a strong performance, with the positive response of shoppers to spring and summer collections helping sales up 15.1% to £45.4m (€65m) in the 28 weeks to August 11.

But revenues from the wholesale division were 4.1% below last year at £20.8m (€29m), reflecting challenging conditions faced by some traders in certain product categories.

Overall, Ted Baker chief executive and founder Ray Kelvin said the group had produced another “excellent performance”, with the half-year figures slightly ahead of previous expectations.

He added: “The initial response to our autumn/winter collections has been very positive and we remain dedicated to the careful international expansion of the brand, through our multi-channel distribution strategy.”