Mountain Warehouse aims to open additional stores

Outdoors retailer Mountain Warehouse has defied the gloom on the UK high street with soaring annual sales.

The retailer, which employs around 3,000 people, grew its sales by 22% in the year to February 25, fro m £184.8 million to £225.3m. This represented likefor-like sales growth of 14%.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation jumped 30.4% to £32.6m.

Online sales now account for a quarter of Mountain Warehouse’s business, having climbed 32% year-on-year.

Founder and chief executive Mark Neale said the company was focusing on opening new stores in the year ahead. The retailer has opened 25 new stores over the past year.

He said: “We are concentrating on opening more stores. We do not subscribe to this ‘death of the high street’ story.”

Picture: Steven Brown. Dundee’s Mountain Warehouse branch.