The Kate Moss effect brings a warm glow to Cussons’ figures

PZ Cussons hailed a “particularly robust” performance from its UK arm, boosted by its St Tropez range after bringing the top model on board as brand ambassador at the start of the summer as well as a raft of new products.

It posted a 7.9 per cent rise in underlying pre-tax profits to £47.6m for the half-year to November 30, with earnings at its UK and European business up 8.1 per cent at £25.3m.

The group relaunched its Imperial Leather Foamburst shower range in the first half, while also expanding its Original Source and Cussons Mum & Me ranges, including Little Explorers products for children.

It saw “good progress” across all four of its UK beauty brands, including St Tropez, which extended its reach in overseas markets, such as the United States, Canada and Germany.

But Manchester-based Cussons recently revealed plans to close its flagship Sanctuary Spa in London’s Covent Garden just six years after buying the luxury skin and bodycare brand.

Its closure later this year will pull the plug on the spa’s 37-year history in central London, as well as marking the end of the brand’s chain of day spas after Cussons announced the closure of the three smaller sites in Cambridge, Bristol and Richmond in London last year.

The group, which had launched the smaller spas following its £75m Sanctuary takeover in 2008, had originally planned to retain the renowned Covent Garden site.

It is instead focusing solely on selling Sanctuary lotions, oils, scrubs and soaps through retailers, adding that the range had “performed well” in the first half.