Kathmandu first-quarter sales increase by 72pc

Outdoor equipment retailer Kathmandu is benefiting from its recent purchase of surf brand Rip Curl, which helped it lift sales at a time when many storeswere closed due to Covid-19. The retail group posted a 72 per cent increase in sales for the first quarter of its financial year to October 31, attributing the gain to its acquisition of Rip Curl. It didn’t provide a dollar amount for the sales. Kathmandu paid $368 million for Rip Curl last year. Rip Curl diversifies the group’s products, balancing Kathmandu’s winter and outdoor focus with Rip Curl’s summer and beach focus.