FORTNUM & MASON FLOURISHING

NEW shops and online orders of hampers has boosted profit at Fortnum & Mason.

The upmarket retailer said annual profit for the year to July rose 31pc to £5m, and sales jumped 19pc to £88m. Fortnum – which holds a Royal Warrant, meaning it can advertise the fact it has royal customers – said new outlets at Heathrow Terminal 5 and London’s St Pancras International railway station had performed well, while its new website helped online sales grow 22pc during the year.

Chairman Kate Hobhouse ( pictured) said: ‘The past few years have seen us expand as a store, and I am particularly pleased we managed to do this without compromising the essence of Fortnum & Mason, and our focus on quality of service and authenticity of our products.’

Last year it opened its first store outside the UK in Dubai.