Superdry firm's results cap a 'difficult year'

Julian Dunkerton, chief executive of SuperGroup, has vowed to become more closely involved with the fashion retailer's products after a "disappointing" fourth quarter capped a "difficult year" for the owner of the Superdry brand.

SuperGroup, which has issued three profits warnings since October, yesterday posted "flat" underlying UK retail sales over the 13 weeks to 29 April, marking its worst domestic performance since it floated at 500p in March 2010.

While he partly blamed the wettest April on record, Mr Dunkerton said: "I personally have been pulled away over the year from running, with James [Holder], the product side of the business."

To free him and Mr Holder, the brand and design director, to focus more on product, SuperGroup hired Susanne Given as chief operating officer and Shaun Wills as finance director in March.

Mr Dunkerton said: "We have grown [sales] by 675 per cent over the last four years and we have invested in infrastructure and people in order to turn ourselves into a more professional company."