Mountain Warehouse sees life on high street

0 The group grew its total sales by 22% in the year to 25 February, up from £184.8m to £225.3m Outdoors retailer Mountain Warehouse has defied the gloom on the UK high street with soaring annual sales.

The group, which employs some 3,000 people, grew its total sales by 22 per cent in the year to 25 February, up from £184.8 million to £225.3m. It posted like-for-like sales growth of 14 per cent.

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

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

Mountain Warehouse’s founder and boss Mark Neale said the company was focusing on opening stores in the year ahead. The retailer has opened 25 sites over the past year, creating about 300 jobs.

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

International markets also remain a key part of Mountain Warehouse’s business.