Ted Baker sales bounce after Christmas

14th Jan 2011 07:12

Fashion retailer Ted Baker lifted sales by 7.6% over the Christmas period, though this total was hit by the weather disruption.The firm does not give like-for-like comparisons, but says average retail square footage increased by 6.6% over the period to 223,623 sq.ft. Gross margins in the period, 14 November to 8 January, were in line with expectations and there was no significant promotional activity prior to Christmas day. Profits for the year will hit market forecasts, it added."Trading in the UK started well but was affected by the adverse weather conditions in the lead up to Christmas. Sales since Christmas have been particularly strong across the group and we expect to end the season with a clean stock position," Baker said."We continued to see strong trading momentum in our overseas markets throughout the period and have been pleased with the performance of our recently opened US stores in Chicago and New York."