Antler named among fastest-growing UK retail brands

Antler outpaced the likes of Lululemon, Uniqlo and New Balance in the UK, according to new transactional spend data collected for Retail Week by CACI. 

The premium luggage brand, which has been designing suitcases in Britain since 1914, recorded a 71% year-on-year uplift in transactional spend in 2023 as shoppers began travelling more and an “aggressive transformation strategy” took shape.

Sales at Antler have been in double-digit growth for the last two years, moving from £5m to £40m while remaining in profit. 

Antler is ranked as the third fastest-growing retailer in the UK, according to the data, behind only Vinted and Shein, and is one of only two British brands on the list. 

Managing director Kirsty Glenne said: ”I joined Antler two years ago with a clear mandate to reimagine this 100-year-old brand and scale globally.

“The first phase of this transformation launched in May 2023, marking a pivotal moment for the brand’s reimagination. We launched a completely new aesthetic, refined our tone of voice, introduced a new logo, and re-platformed our global ecommerce site to optimise customer experience. The reaction from our customers has been phenomenal – Antler is a much-loved British brand with over 100 years of heritage behind us. This gives us an authentic story to tell and for our audience to engage with, all backed by best-in-class, quality product.

”Looking ahead to 2024, business priorities are centred on both consolidating our UK market leadership and accelerating our growth in the US. Predictions show the travel sector is showing no signs of slowing down; 2024 is looking to be a landmark year for travel, in particular UK and US travellers, and we’re ready to capitalise on this momentum with a strong pipeline planned in product, content, marketing and retail activations.”

The current success follows a period of significant financial distress for the brand, which fell into administration during the pandemic as travel came to a halt. Antler’s stores were closed and over 150 jobs were lost but its brand, assets and online operation were bought by an ATR Group in July 2020.