Barbour bucks the trend as sales soar

THE Queen’s favourite outdoor clothing brand, Barbour, has bucked the gloom on the high street to celebrate record sales.

Accounts for the iconic British brand, famous for its quilted jackets, right, show sales grew 9 per cent from £185.3 million to £202.3 million for the year ending April 30, 2018. Pre-tax profits rose from £28 million to £33.4 million.

Managing director Steve Buck said that the company continued to perform strongly ‘despite challenging market conditions’. Last week, Barbour, which was founded in 1894 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, kicked off a full year of 125th anniversary celebrations with the launch of its Icons Re-Engineered collection at a London Men’s Fashion Week party attended by celebrity fans including model David Gandy. The fashion label and holder of three Royal Warrants said each piece was inspired by a classic jacket from its history. The firm originally made weatherproof garments for local sailors, but later moved into other products. It paid out a £7.4 million dividend last year, to be shared between the Barbour family and the Barbour Foundation charity.