Shoppers snap up Ted Baker autumn range despite September sun

LONDON, United Kingdom - British designer clothing brand Ted Baker said demand for its autumn/winter collections had been good despite September's unusually warm weather, as it posted a 24 percent rise in first half profit.

A good reaction to its new ranges comes after Britain's second biggest clothing retailer Next warned last week that it would have to lower profit forecasts if the warm weather continues.

Britain's Met Office had said earlier in the week that September was on course to be the driest since records began in 1910.

"Business has been good, we've got good quality products, obviously we probably would have done even better in the last few weeks had we had a colder snap, but we're in a good position," Ted Baker founder and chief executive Ray Kelvin told Reuters.

Despite shoppers maintaining a close watch on spending and a British market rife with promotions, Ted Baker has enjoyed strong demand at home, while sales are also rising overseas following expansion across Europe, the United States and Asia.

The firm, known for its classic cuts with quirky details, said on Thursday that profit before tax and exceptional items for the 28 weeks to Aug. 9 rose to 14.4 million pounds ($23 million), up from 11.6 million a year ago.

Group revenue rose 17.4 percent to 182 million pounds, led by core retail sales up 14.8 percent in the period thanks to new openings and another strong UK performance. Wholesales and license income also rose strongly.

Ted Baker said a new store in Las Vegas as well as concessions elsewhere in the United States and in Europe had opened in the half, with plans to open new stores in Miami, Toronto and London's Heathrow airport by the year end.

The group currently has 381 stores and concessions globally.

Shares in the group, which increased its interim dividend by 18.9 percent to 11.3 pence, were up 1.8 percent to 1987p at 0755 GMT.

1 US dollar = 0.6176 British pound