Poor weather helps Mountain Warehouse post 19% rise in annual sales

Mountain Warehouse founder and chief executive Mark Neale told Retail Week that a combination of factors had led to the retailer’s sales growth.

He said: “The weather was good [for us]. It was wet in the run up to Christmas…that definitely helped us. Also our product range is much better. It’s better quality and we’ve sold more of our higher-priced range. Jackets in our Extreme range that were £100, which is quite a high price point for us, sold out.”

Neale also said that the retailer had “benefitted by [there being] far fewer Millets and Blacks stores on the high street”. In the past year JD Sports Fashionshut about 100 of its Blacks and Millets shops.

The 155-strong chain saw like-for-like sales jump 15% for the 12 weeks to December 30.

The sales hike comes as the retailer said it had benefitted from the recent snow and sleet hitting many parts of the UK.

Neale said that the week to January 20 had been “incredible” for the retailer, with like-for-like sales up 75%. Its website, which now accounts for 10% of the company’s total sales, enjoyed record sales on Saturday.

Neale said: “Recent trade has been absolutely fantastic. We had sold out of sledges; thousands were sold on Saturday. Snowboots also sold very well.”

Over the past 12 months, Mountain Warehouse has continued to expand with 15 new stores openings across the UK and in Poland. The retailer plans to continue its steady growth with another 15 stores planned to open this year across the UK and Poland.

Mountain Warehouse, which launched a mobile site in December, will launch a click-and-collect service later this year.