Joules says that its ‘total retail’ model is helping to drive sales across channels, and especially online.
For the fashion and lifestyle brand, ranked Top150 in IRUK Top500 research, total retail is about offering customers a seamless experience of the brand, however they choose to buy from it. Ecommerce sales accounted for half of the lifestyle brand’s retail sales of £159.1m (+22.7%) in the 52 weeks to May 26, it said in today’s year-end trading update. Across the business, total revenues came to £218m (+17.2%), including £57.1m (+2.9%) from wholesale. International sales now represent more than half of Joules’ wholesale business.
Joules’ chief executive Colin Porter said: “As Joules celebrates its 30th anniversary, this strong performance, particularly in our international markets and across our ecommerce and licensing channels, reflects the strength of our distinctive brand as well as the appeal of our products across an ever-increasing range of lifestyle categories.
“The group’s flexible and integrated total retail model is well suited to meet rapidly evolving consumer shopping behaviours. Supported by this strong momentum and our outstanding brand, growing customer base and skilled colleagues across the world, we continue to look forward with confidence despite well-documented sector headwinds.”
Commenting on the figures, Emily Salter, retail analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, said the retailer remained a “consistent outperformer”, and is “seemingly unaffected by the downturn in UK retail due to squeezed incomes and political uncertainty”.
She said: “Joules has credited its ‘total retail’ model with bolstering its consistently strong performance, stating that this allows it to be flexible and meet changing consumer shopping patterns as spend continues to shift online. The retailer’s online platform performed ‘particularly well’ over the year, but its stores remain important (it currently has 124 standalone stores) and are well-maintained to ensure an attractive shopping environment in line with its brand identity, that helps to drive footfall and sales.”
Image courtesy of Joules
