Regionally, the Americas remained Burberry’s strongest-performing market, with comparable sales rising 12%, followed by Greater China, up 9%, and Asia Pacific, up 3%.
South Korea grew 11%, although Japan declined 2% as inbound tourism from China continued to weaken.
Comparable sales in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa fell 3%, which Burberry attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and lower tourist spending. Excluding the Middle East, the region was down 1%.
Burberry also reported mid-teen growth in ecommerce during the quarter and raised its first-half wholesale guidance “by high-single digit percentage” following what it described as a “positive response” from wholesale partners.
Outerwear delivered double-digit growth, driven by strong demand for heritage rainwear, lightweight jackets and seasonal products, while women’s handbags returned to growth. Knitwear, polo shirts and swimwear also recorded sales increases.
Advertisement
Burberry said its product and pricing strategy continued to deliver “value for money in a luxury context”, while customer growth was led by Gen Z shoppers, which increased by double digits.
CEO Joshua Schulman said the first quarter marked a significant milestone for the business, with all major product divisions returning to growth: “For the first time in three years, we saw growth across our womenswear, menswear, accessories and childrenswear divisions, anchored by the outperformance of outerwear,” he said.
“Our strategy is working. We are attracting a broad range of luxury customers across product categories, channels and geographies, reinforcing my confidence in the opportunities ahead.”
The retailer said its “Portraits of an Icon” campaign helped attract new customers, with rainwear seeing a 19% increase in new shoppers during the quarter.
Looking ahead, Burberry said it expects to deliver revenue growth and margin expansion in line with market expectations for the full year, although it warned that geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty could continue to weigh on consumer confidence.
Advertisement
“We are encouraged by the progress of Burberry Forward [turnaround strategy] and will continue to build on it to drive performance and deliver sustainable long-term value,” the company said.
The trading update comes days after Schulman’s pay increase came into question, with 37% of Burberry investors voted against the new terms at the company’s AGM on 15 July.
The luxury house swung back to profit for the 52 weeks to 28 March 2026, as it reported a £115m operating profit, up from a loss of £3m in the 2025 financial year.
Have your say
or a new account to join the discussion.
