The unseasonably warm weather that‘s been affecting apparel retailers‘ bottom lines didn‘t hamper sales at Joules.
The British fashion retailer delivered strong sales over the Christmas period, with total revenue up 11.3% against last year‘s comparable period and growth across all channels. Total retail sales grew by 13.1%, highlighting the benefits of the business‘s investment in its multichannel capability, including the September relaunch of its e-commerce platform.
The Christmas period saw strong growth in gifting products across all genders, and “continued the strong performance of the financial year to date”, with total revenue up 17.4% for the period 1 June 2015 to 3 January 2016 against the comparable period last year. This reflects continued growth across all channels, both in the UK and internationally. One example of this is the expansion of Joules‘ retail presence: the business recently opened new stores, including its 100th store, in Harrogate, Dublin, Sheffield Meadowhall, Birmingham Grand Central, and Milton Keynes.
Colin Porter, CEO of Joules emphasised the company‘s international ambitions, saying that focus was “on the long-term growth of Joules as a British lifestyle brand, both at home and abroad. The brand‘s strong performance over the Christmas period across product categories and channels reflects the quality and design of our products as well as the appeal of the Joules brand.”
He added, “The trading performance over the Christmas period continues the fantastic growth and development for our business. We have successfully introduced new customers to the brand and invested significantly in our infrastructure, including online capabilities, to provide a strong platform for continued growth as an international lifestyle brand.”¯ The hard work that our team puts into surprising and delighting our customers is paying off and, the strength of our SS16 range and advance wholesale orders gives us confidence in the outlook for the rest of the financial year.”
Porter was promoted to the chief exec position in September 2015 after founder Tom Joule stepped down from the role to focus on the creative design and brand.
Porter joined Joules in November 2010 from menswear brand Crombie, where he had been joint managing director for a year. Prior to this he was at House of Fraser for 10 years in roles including commercial director and supply chain and merchandise director.
