Japanese fashionistas might not have much in common with beige-loving Middle England but they both love William Morris patterns.
This helped pre-tax profit at posh wallpaper and fabric firm Walker Greenbank rise 11% to £2.7 million in six months.
Chief executive John Sach said Walker’s sales in Japan soared 50% between January and July.
“The Japanese absolutely love Morris & Co,” he said. “It goes beyond their walls. We’re licensing Morris & Co for use on female clothing and upmarket handbags too.”
In the UK, Walker Greenbank’s biggest market, sales rose 5.6% during the six months.
Sach said the firm’s launch of a new, cheaper wallpaper brand Scion, whose rolls cost £20-£40 a metre, had “contributed well”. He added: “It’s not easy in the UK, but we’re doing better than other people.”
The firm said overall sales had been strongest on its famous brands, which include Sanderson, Harlequin and Orla Kiely, where they grew 4.5% to £29.6 million.
In the US, revenues rose 21% in the first half, “the first significant growth that we’ve seen since recession”, said Sach.
“I see it as a sign of the US market place returning to confidence.”
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