Barbour finds new generation of fans amid fashion tie-ups
BARBOUR’S sales hit a record high last year as tie-ups with high-end fashion brands helped it gain traction among younger shoppers.
The South Shields-based business collaborated with the likes of Gucci and Copenhagen’s Ganni in an attempt to revitalise the 129-year-old brand.
It also partnered with model Alexa Chung and luxury womenswear brand Chloe, as Barbour boosted sales up by almost 20pc to £343m in the year to April 2023.
Founded in 1894 by John Barbour, the business is known for its distinctive jackets, which are waxed to keep out the elements.
Over the past century, they have become a staple of countryside homes across the UK, while also being associated with sports such as motorcycle racing and shooting.
The company holds two royal warrants, including one from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
According to Dame Margaret Barbour, the company’s chairman, the late Queen wore the same Barbour jacket for 25 years, asking for its coating to be “re-waxed” around the time of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Company accounts show that Barbour sells more than two million jackets a year. Despite its traditional aesthetic and association with British rural life, the brand underwent a revival in the 1980s and 1990s when it became popular among socialites and celebrities, such as Kate Moss and Princess Diana.
The jackets have also soared in popularity in recent years after appearing in various television series, including The Crown.
Fans of Barbour include Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, who gave Joe Biden a £279 Bedale jacket during a visit to the US last summer.
Despite rising sales over the past year, Barbour’s profits fell by around £6m after price rises were unable to offset inflationary cost pressures.
Steve Buck, managing director, said: “The ongoing aftermath of the pandemic can still be seen in our supply chain and the economic fallout resulting from the cost of living crisis, war in Ukraine, uncertainty across global markets, intense cost pressures, in particular exchange rate pressure and competition for volatile demand remaining high, have all presented numerous challenges to margins across all channels and markets.”
However, he added that no further price hikes are expected: “Offering good value to our consumers is paramount and as a consequence, we have not raised our prices in line with the cost increases we are experiencing.”
Barbour’s waxed jackets generally cost between £200 and £300.