* Full-year pretax profit up 18.6 pct
* Company opened stores in Azerbaijan, Mexico, Qatar
* Initial reaction to spring/summer collections "positive"
* Raises total dividend to 47.8 pence (Adds finance director comments, details, share price)
By Aastha Agnihotri
March 17 (Reuters) - Ted Baker Plc's full-yearprofit rose by nearly a fifth due to strong demand for itsoffbeat fashions and the opening of stores from Mexico to theMiddle East, setting the British clothing retailer apart fromits rivals in a competitive market.
The company said on Thursday that initial reaction to itslatest spring and summer collections had also been "positive".
Established British clothing retailers are engaged in afierce battle with fast-fashion brands such as Inditex's Zara and the trendsetting designs of the likes of Reissand Whistles.
Next Plc and Marks and Spencer Group Plc have attributed disappointing sales to an unusually mild winter,while French Connection Group Plc's sales were hit by alukewarm response to its spring collection.
Ted Baker's dresses, suits and shirts, often sporting quirkydetails such as flowery collars and polka-dotted sleeves, havehelped it to stand out from rivals in Britain and, increasingly,overseas.
"Americans have quite a good term. They see us as a'bridge-brand'," Finance Director Charles Anderson told Reuters."By that they mean we are not high street, we are not luxury, weare somewhere in between."
Ted Baker's stock has more than tripled in the last fiveyears. At a multiple of 26.9 times its 12-month forwardearnings, it trades at a premium to most of its peers, accordingto Thomson Reuters data.
On Thursday, Ted Baker's shares fell 1.3 percent to 2912pence by 1035 GMT, in line with a wider decline of the FTSE 350General Retailers Index.
Ted Baker, which opened its first store in Glasgow in 1988,has outlets in more than 35 countries. The company has its ownin-house team of designers, headed by Ray Kelvin, its founderand chief executive.
For the year ended Jan. 30, Ted Baker's profit before taxand exceptional items rose 18.6 percent to 58.7 million pounds($83.7 million).
Revenue increased 17.7 percent to 456.2 million pounds forthe same period, during which the company opened its firststores in Amsterdam, Azerbaijan, Hawaii, Mexico and Qatar.
The company raised its total dividend to 47.8 pence from40.3 pence. ($1 = 0.7017 pounds) (Reporting by Aastha Agnihotri in Bengaluru; Editing by SunilNair and Robin Paxton)
Marks & Spencer (MKS)
Next (NXT)
