Original sees big demand for outdoor clothes

The group, which operates more than 160 stores across the UK, racked up its highest daily sales on December 23, only to beat this by eight per cent the following day.

It sold more than 100,000 wellington boots over the Christmas period – a pair every nine seconds – as snow boosted orders.

The Burnley-based group, which has Yorkshire stores at locations including Garforth, Hoyland, Ilkley and York, said sales rose 23 per cent over the six weeks to December 26 compared with the previous year, with like-for-like sales up five per cent.

Chief executive Angela Spindler said: "As a business with stores across most regions in the UK, we were undoubtedly impacted by the severe weather conditions. However, the combination of our loyal customers still coming out to shop and our ever-committed colleagues still coming to work meant that we were still able to deliver an excellent trading performance."

Original Factory Shop opened 31 stores in 2010 and plans to open 35 this year, which will bring its total to nearly 200.