Ted Baker extends global reach

The designer brand said it was particularly pleased with its UK performance, but also credited the 22 per cent sales surge in the 13 weeks to November 10 on shop openings in department stores in mainland Europe and further afield.

The sales boost at Ted Baker, which has 180 shops in the UK including concessions, is in contrast to the general gloom on the UK high street after the Office of National Statistics said sales volumes dropped 0.8 per cent last month as consumers tightened their belts.

Ted Baker said its e-commerce business had continued to perform well, while there was also a 14.2 per cent increase in sales from its wholesale business, which supplies Ted Baker products to other shops.

Jean Roche, analyst at Panmure Gordon, said the strengthening of Ted Baker’s core UK business with the brand’s international potential was a “killer combin-ation”.

In the last quarter the group opened concessions in the US, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Germany, increasing its global footprint by 13.7 per cent on a year earlier to 270,000 sq ft in the 13 weeks to November 10.

But it said its expansion plan at renowned New York department store Bloomingdales was disrupted when Hurricane Sandy hit the US east coast.

The retailer also plans to open its first shop in Toronto in Canada and further shops in Shanghai in the coming months.