Luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason has seen a 14% increase in overall sales for the year up to July 2014, compared to last year.
The figures have been coined as the biggest success in the store’s 307-year existence.
The store also saw a profit increase of more than double the previous year, from £1.8m in 2013 to £3.8m this year.
It said hamper sales increased by 18% and tea sales were up 13% on the previous year.
In November 2013 Fortnum opened its first new store in more than 300 years at St Pancras International station.
Last week it opened another new 1,000 sq ft standalone store at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Commenting on the financial results, Fortnum’s chief executive Ewan Venters said: “We are thrilled with the figures. The last financial year was a landmark one for us and the new stores at St Pancras, and in Dubai, have both been big success stories. Piccadilly has gone from strength to strength too, and it’s all down to the management and wider staff teams. We have an exceptionally talented group driving the business forward.”
Financial highs and pudding lows
The results come after a Which? expert blind taste-testing ranked Morrisons’ own-brand Christmas pudding top of the festive puddings, trouncing luxury brands Harrods and Fortnum & Mason’s offering.
The independent consumer rating organisation gathered a panel of judges, including last year’s Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn.
The panel blind-tasted each pudding, giving a mark out of 10 for appearance, aroma, taste and texture. Fortnum & Mason’s £10 St James pudding, was described as having an “artificial flavour” and compared the taste to a citrus bathroom cleaner.
Despite this, Venters remained upbeat about the Christmas period. “We’re very excited about Christmas, naturally, and all the signs suggest we are going to have our best festive season on record too. Looking to the future, we know we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We’ll continue to invest in the business to provide our customers with the best possible experience, in-store and online, and we’re all set to launch a number of extremely exciting initiatives in 2015 that will, hopefully, see us deliver another set of record-breaking results next year.”
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