LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - British designer clothing brandTed Baker said demand for its autumn/winter collectionshad been good despite September's unusually warm weather, as itposted a 24 percent rise in first half profit.
A good reaction to its new ranges comes after Britain'ssecond biggest clothing retailer Next warned on Tuesdayit would have to lower profit forecasts if the warm weathercontinues.
Britain's Met Office said earlier this week that Septemberwas on course to be the driest since records began in 1910.
"Business has been good, we've got good quality products,obviously we probably would have done even better in the lastfew weeks had we had a colder snap, but we're in a goodposition," Ted Baker founder and chief executive Ray Kelvin toldReuters.
Despite shoppers maintaining a close watch on spending and aBritish market rife with promotions, Ted Baker has enjoyedstrong demand at home, while sales are also rising overseasfollowing expansion across Europe, the United States and Asia.
The firm, known for its classic cuts with quirky details,said on Thursday that profit before tax and exceptional itemsfor the 28 weeks to Aug. 9 rose to 14.4 million pounds ($23million), up from 11.6 million a year ago.
Group revenue rose 17.4 percent to 182 million pounds, ledby core retail sales up 14.8 percent in the period thanks to newopenings and another strong UK performance. Wholesales andlicense income also rose strongly.
Ted Baker said a new store in Las Vegas as well asconcessions elsewhere in the United States and in Europe hadopened in the half, with plans to open new stores in Miami,Toronto and London's Heathrow airport by the year end.
The group currently has 381 stores and concessions globally.
Shares in the group, which increased its interim dividend by18.9 percent to 11.3 pence, were up 1.8 percent to 1987p at 0755GMT. (1 US dollar = 0.6176 British pound) (Reporting by Neil Maidment; editing by Kate Holton)