Clerkenwell-headquartered fashion label Fred Perry served up a smashing rise in the dividend to its Japanese owners last year after seeing sales and profits leap.
The eponymous brand, created by Wimbledon champion Fred Perry in 1952, said UK and Europe sales increased 5.8% in the year to March 2018.
The firm, now owned by Japanese clothing company Hit Union, saw group turnover climb to £122.3 million from £115.1 million. Pre-tax profits rose 5.7% to £24.3 million.
A dividend of £9.6 million was dished out, up from £7 million.
A company spokesman said: “We will always take a long-term view over any short-term promotional sales driven opportunities and have always put brand health and real profit above all other measures. As a result, we have produced another year that delivers on those core values.”
Fred Perry, which has 250 shops globally, has recently collaborated on clothing lines with designers Raf Simons and Margaret Howell.
