The fashion chain reports dramatic recovery after years of turmoil, with UK and European expansion planned
Superdry is plotting a new assault on the High Street with plans for 15 new UK stores and a string of European openings. The comeback follows years of turmoil that saw the fashion chain delist, slash rents and close nearly half its estate.
Chief executive and founder Julian Dunkerton told Drapers that he has a “hitlist” of British locations ready to go, including Bath, Dundee, Lincoln and Norwich, and intends to open doors “as soon as the right sites become available.”
Stores in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands are also being lined up as part of a wider European push. The bullish expansion marks the latest step in a dramatic turnaround for Superdry, which only months ago was fighting for survival.
Superdry quit the London Stock Exchange last April, then pushed through a major restructuring plan approved by creditors in June. That saw rents reduced on 36 of its 94 UK stores and 47 shut permanently, alongside logistics cutbacks including the closure of a Belgian distribution centre.
The brand spent much of the past two years wrestling with slumping sales, a collapse in profits, and the fallout from its rapid expansion and heavy discounting strategy – problems worsened by the cost-of-living squeeze.
But the retailer has since roared back into the black, reporting a statutory £50.5m profit after tax for the year to 26 April 2025 – a sharp reversal from the £67.7m loss the year before. Adjusted profit before tax jumped to £33.8m, compared with a £48.3m loss last year.
Group revenues fell 23% to £374.6m, reflecting store closures and what the company calls a “disciplined approach to discounting”.
Much of the resurgence hinges on a full-scale repositioning under the new name Superdry & Co, unveiled at its Oxford Street flagship. The rebrand ditches the Japanese-inspired styling in favour of a “preppy” British heritage look, which Mr Dunkerton insists will dominate fashion for the next decade.
The new three-floor Oxford Street store showcases the brand’s rebooted identity:
- A mainline preppy collection,
- A revival of Bench, the early-2000s streetwear label now licensed to Superdry,
- And a vast vintage and upcycled fashion hub, including what Dunkerton claims is “probably the biggest collection of vintage Ralph Lauren in the world”.
Superdry has also refitted key stores in Nottingham and Dundee in the new format. The CEO told guests at the relaunch event: “If you wander around the store, you will see that we have fundamentally changed. It really is a rebirth of the brand.”
Another shift is a renewed push into circular fashion, with curated second-hand Carhartt, Ralph Lauren and upcycled items prepared to “look like new”.
Mr Dunkerton says the business is now “flying”, insisting the toughest decisions have already been made. The launch of Cult by Superdry, a youth-focused sub-brand inspired by his 1990s label Cult Clothing, is designed to hook Gen Z shoppers as the company seeks relevance in an era dominated by resale platforms and social-media micro-trends.
Superdry also holds the UK licence for Bench, with the first new collection due in early 2026 and shop-in-shops planned across the estate. After years of upheaval, Mr Dunkerton’s confidence signals a company that believes its turnaround is finally taking hold.
“We are emerging leaner, more disciplined, and better positioned to grow profitably,” he said. “FY25 has been a transformative year. Now we’re ready to build again.”
