Footasylum hails record year and ongoing strong sales

Footasylum has released its final FY25 results showing a strong rise in both sales and profit. And it said that the first months of the current trading year have also been ahead of expectations so far.

Looking first at FY25, sales reached a record for the footwear and sportswear omnichannel business with total revenue up 9.4% to £349.5 million and store sales up 3% to £172.6 million. Online sales increased 6% to £143.1 million and exclusive brand sales were up 101% to £33.7m, now accounting for 10% of group revenue (up from 5% a year earlier).

Meanwhile, underlying EBITDA was up 26% to £28.2 million, operating profit rose 108% to £21.7 million, pre-tax profit jumped 188% to £17.2 million and net profit surged 625% to £19.9 million.

As for current trading, total sales for the first 21 weeks of the current financial year are up 10.5% year-on-year and tracking slightly ahead of plan. The gross margin is also ahead of both last year and of plan, while like-for-like retail sales are up 6%, driven by a strong performance from Footasylum exclusive brands (up 17%).

The last year was one in which the company continued an ambitious store programme. It upsized at Metro Centre in Gateshead (Footasylum’s North-East flagship) and Merry Hill in Dudley, and also opened at Union Square in Aberdeen; Golden Square in Warrington; Frenchgate in Doncaster; Parkgate in Rotherham; and Eagles Meadow in Wrexham.

Plus it formed strategic partnerships with global brands such as Nike, Adidas and New Balance.

Importantly too, it successfully refinanced with a £35 million revolving credit facility from HSBC, enabling it to further enhance its digital-first customer journey, to continue opening those new stores, and to support the development of its key exclusive brands.

The company added that the current year has benefitted from its  Junior and Nursery categories being “particularly strong”, increasing 42% and 45%, respectively. And it opened a new store in New Square, West Bromwich last month, with six further openings planned for 2025, including Parc Trostre in Llanelli, Wales next month. More are lined up for 2026 as well, including an upsized Leeds Trinity Centre space that opens in Q1 next year.

It will also continue its omnichannel push with “a seven-figure investment in a best-in-class customer app”, phase one of which launches in July.

CEO David Pujolar said: “Footasylum delivered record results in FY25, marking a truly standout performance – and I’m pleased to report that our strong trading has continued into the current financial year, ahead of both the prior year and budget.

“Our brand recognition, particularly among our core 16–24 demographic, continues to grow, supported by our distinctive content and social strategy. With a strong pipeline of new material to inspire, engage and entertain, we’re continuing to grow an audience that now numbers in the millions.

“Our relationships with leading global brands — including Nike, Adidas and New Balance — also continue to go from strength to strength, and remain central to our offer.”

And CFO Nick Scott added: “Our successful store opening and upsizing programme, based on the blueprint of our Oxford Street flagship, continues to drive momentum.

“The refinancing of our £35 million revolving credit facility gives us the headroom to invest confidently — in bigger-and-better stores, but also in our digital-first customer journey and newer categories such as junior-wear, which is already delivering standout results. The backing from Aurelius has been instrumental in helping us move quickly and decisively, and their ongoing support remains a key driver of our transformation from traditional retailer to a multifaceted group with various sales channels.”