The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Sales rise at Perthshire’s ‘Harrods of the North’
RETAIL: House of Bruar posts improved profits despite wider economic challenges
Perthshire’s so-called ‘Harrods of the North’ has defied a challenging retail landscape to post improved sales and profits.
Newly filed accounts at Companies House show the House of Bruar at Blair Atholl – Scotland’s premier destination shopping outlet for country clothing and fine foods – generated revenues of £26.69 million in the year to January 31 2017.
The figure was £2.27m higher than the sales achieved in the prior year.
Gross profit for the year was £1.35m ahead at £12.58m, while pre-tax profits also rose from £3.64m to £3.8m.
Managing director Patrick Birkbeck said the board was “very pleased” with the performance of the company.
“The business has continued to see the benefits of the policy to continually invest in the infrastructure of the site and in the generation of the mail order database,” Mr Birkbeck said in his strategic report to the accounts.
“Additional buildings have been constructed on the Ballinluig site to cater for increased direct shopping activity.”
The accounts show the company employed an average monthly workforce of 236 in 2017, a marginal uplift from the 223 of the year previous.
The vast majority of the group’s sales – more than £26.1m – were made in the UK, although there was an export contribution of £276,251 from Europe and sales to the rest of the world came in at £282,448.
Looking ahead, Mr Birkbeck said the major infrastructure works required to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness would inevitably impact on the main retail operation and the group was looking to grow its mail order business.
It has invested in a third warehouse at its site at Ballinluig to increase capacity within the mail order category.
“In our opinion, the number of visitors to the area will increase enormously once the road is finished, but the process and construction phase will cause problems,” Mr Birkbeck said.
“The indications are that a major junction will be built at the entrance to the House of Bruar encouraging travellers to use the retail premises.
“During the disruptive construction phase of the A9, the business needs to expand direct shopping elements of the operation.
“The core of mail order fulfilment operations has moved from the main site to Ballinluig, which will aid the progression to a multi-season mail order business.”
The House of Bruar’s parent company is Mark Birkbeck & Sons Limited.
That business is controlled by businessman Mark Birkbeck, whose other interests include a property company.