Mountain Warehouse today said it was confident about the future as it marked its 21st consecutive year of unbroken sales growth – in a year in which online accounted for a quarter of its turnover.
The retailer, a Top150 trader in IRUK Top500 research, reported a 22% rise in sales to £225.3m in the year to February 25, compared to the previous year, with like-for-like sales up by 14% Pre-tax profits of £26.6m were 35.6% ahead. Online sales grew by 32% to account for a quarter of all sales, while international sales grew by 36.5% to account for almost 30% of sales.
Founder and chief executive Mark Neale said: “We’ve all seen the struggles some retail businesses are having. At Mountain Warehouse our relentless focus on value for money, everyday outdoor gear for all the family has continued to resonate with our customers.
“We grew rapidly during the last downturn and I’m confident we will continue to grow over the coming year. We do not subscribe to talk about the death of the high street. If you have the right products at the right price, with good service, customers will keep shopping with you if you have the right retail locations.”
Mountain Warehouse opened its first shop in Swindon in 1997. Over the last year it added 25 new branches, including its first stores in Holland and New Zealand. In the current year it aims to open more than 40 stores, while investing more than £10m in expanding the business. Its ultimate aim is to have more than 300 stores in the UK, and at leats that many international stores. Currently it has 72 stores overseas and 212 in the UK. It sells more than 20m items a year, from jackets and fleeces to rucksacks and sleeping bags, that are almost all exclusive to Mountain Warehouse.
Image courtesy of Mountain Warehouse
