Hunter’s 2018 Profits Soared Thanks to Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Strategy

Hunter Boot Ltd., which has been aggressively pursuing a direct-to-consumer marketing strategy, said sales rose 9% to 113.8 million pounds in the fiscal year ended Dec. 29, 2018.

The company said that adjusted EBITDA climbed 54% in the year to 10.6 million pounds. The British boot maker did not disclose operating results or after-tax profits or losses for the year.

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In fiscal 2017, the company posted an operating loss of 4.9 million pounds and an after-tax loss of 6.5 million pounds, according to its latest filings on Companies House, the official register of U.K. businesses.

It touted increased gross profit margin to 54.2 percent, and strong growth in the U.S., its largest market, of 13%. Sales in Asia-Pacific also grew 13%, reflecting Hunter’s direct control of its activities in the region. Japanese sales increased 25% in local currency, the company said.

Sales outside key markets grew by 142%, while the addition of bag and apparel categories helped  boost full-price sales by 50 percent, the company said Sunday.

Vincent Wauters, CEO, called 2018 “a landmark year” with growth across key markets and channels. “Our global e-commerce is thriving, we have an established multi-channel distribution platform and we have successfully diversified our product offering,” he said.

Wauters said he was looking forward to more growth and collaborations, with brands as diverse as Stella McCartney and Peppa Pig. “We are delivering against our long-term plan and vision to fulfill the brand’s very significant global potential,” he said.

This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com. To read the full story, please go to WWD.com.

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