By Jonathan Davies
Luxury fashion brand Burberry has seen its shares rise 2.5% after it reported a 9% rise in sales.
Burberry's sales for the six months to the end of March were up to £1.4bn, despite what it described as an "uncertain market".
Its traditional flagship products - trenchcoats and scarves - performed well as the brand saw double-digit growth in Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. However, sales in the Americas was "decelerating".
Christopher Bailey, chief creative and executive officer, said: "We are pleased to report a robust second half performance, despite an uncertain external environment.
He said customers "responded strongly to product innovation, especially in our core British-made heritage trench coats and scarves, while we continued to invest in digital and retail initiatives, including flagship openings in Los Angeles and Japan".
Dan Wagner, eCommerce expert and founder of retail technology specialist Powa Technologies, said: “Burberry has established itself as a leading innovator in fashion in recent years, with a strong focus on mixing online and offline channels through strategies like click-and-collect and digital orders in-store via iPads.
“The strategy paid off last year, but the brand will need to invest further in its omni-channel strategy as online sales mature, if it hopes to match its previous 14 per cent revenue growth. The strong response to Burberry’s signature high profile product launches reveals consumers are still hungry for the brand’s unique style, and it must now ensure it has the ability to engage its fans in innovative new ways if it is to keep its spot at the top.”
