Luxury fashion brand Mulberry continues to shine through the global gloom with strong demand for its upmarket handbags and leather accessories, particularly over the the six-week Christmas trading period.
Mulberry, which has 86 stores and concessions worldwide, says retail sales for the six weeks to January 14 were up 41% while like-for-like sales climbed 35% compared to the same time a year ago.
The company, based at Chilcompton in north Somerset, enjoyed particularly strong wholesale growth in Asia and says wholesale orders for spring/summer 2012 are up 35% compared to the spring/summer 2011 end of season total with more than two months of the selling season remaining.
Chairman and chief executive Godfrey Davis said: "Trading during Christmas and the New Year has been strong and consequently the results for the year to March 31 are likely to exceed our earlier expectations."
The market responded by pushing Mulberry shares more than 6% or 92p higher to £15.70.
