Has Fat Face beaten the great High St slump?

OUTDOORS fashion retailer Fat Face beat the gloom on the High Street as sales continued to rise.

The 30-year-old chain said strong performance in its womenswear line helped like-for-like sales climb 4.9pc in the year to June 2, at a time when other retailers such as New Look and House of Fraser floundered.

Total sales were up 7.4pc to £238.4m, helping Fat Face – which is known for its casual attire and camping outfits – to join its peer Joules in brushing off the retail blues.

Anthony Thompson, Fat Face’s boss, admitted the chain had enjoyed a ‘really strong year’.

But he warned: ‘The current retail environment remains difficult and there appears to be no prospect of conditions improving in the short term.’

Thompson said the strong results were partly down to investment in online retailing. Online sales were up 11.8pc and accounted for 18.2pc of the business.