
British sportswear brand Castore enjoyed a “record Christmas” hailing its “strongest ever trading performance” over the period, driven by strong football shirt sales and growth in womenswear, as it plans to open five to 10 stores this year.
The retailer said sportswear remained “more resilient” than other apparel categories over Christmas as customers looked to ”prioritise their health, wellbeing and fitness”.
In the final weeks before Christmas top-sellers included football shirts and Formula One products, with McLaren and Red Bull sales growing over 20% year on year.
Womenswear sales were up over 30%, driven by demand for Zone performance leggings, while the best-selling Castore items were the Apex training T-shirts and shorts.
Co-founder Tom Beahon said: “We are delighted to deliver such resilient trading in a challenging environment and this positive momentum has continued so far into January.
“Our strategy will remain focussed on omnichannel, combining the best of digital, physical stores and third party retail partners to maximise the reach of the Castore brand. Product innovation remains at the heart of Castore’s success and we are excited to launch a number of new ranges to customers and fans this year.
“We are pleased to see long-term partners and ambassadors like Sir Andy Murray – currently coaching Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open – continue to wear Castore, which again has a resilient, knock-on impact on demand for specific products, as well as our team partners’ continued success on and off the pitch.”
Despite the continued cost rises to businesses, and the National Insurance tax increases, Castore said it remains “bullish on the high street” and plan to open 5-10 new stores in 2025, creating more than 30 new jobs.
“We are optimistic about 2025 despite the macro-economic uncertainties and are forecasting continued profitable growth both in the UK and international markets,” Beahon added.
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