MULBERRY BAGS £121M GLOBAL SALES BONANZA

Mulberry has celebrated its 40th birthday by doubling production of women’s handbags and is extending its Somerset factory, creating 50 new jobs.

The bags typically sell for between £450 to £1,300, though some fetch as much as £3,500. But fashion-conscious buyers at home and abroad are shrugging off worries about the economy by snapping them up.

Shares in the company jumped 115p to 1450p yesterday after it reported sales up from £72.1million to £121.6million in the year to the end of March, while pre-tax profits rose fourfold to £23.3million.

Chairman and chief executive Godfrey Davis said: “Our bags are not cheap, but they are made of very good materials. Our products have got longevity and that’s very attractive in these times. The same product sells as strongly in London or Edinburgh as in New York and Hong Kong. We’ve managed to create a brand that works in all markets by investing in marketing and building the brand. We are now beginning to see the benefits.”

Mulberry expects to open 12 stores abroad this year, including the US, Korea, China and Thailand, taking the overseas total to 54 shops, against 42 in the UK.

“We are accelerating the pace and there is more to come,” Davis said.

Sales at its own shops rose 44 per cent over the year, while wholesale shipments to other retailers more than doubled. Overseas sales rose 145 per cent to £40.5million and will overtake UK sales within two years.

Despite the consumer downturn, UK sales rose 33 per cent in the 10 weeks to June 4, helped by “supergrowth” in central London thanks to foreign tourists. Broker Altium said: “We believe this could be just the beginning of the ­Mulberry story outside the UK.

Do not get carried away at Cheap Discounts on Wholesale Handbags ...

Total views: 3 | Word Count: 573 | Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2011 | 0 comments

It is generally believed that wholesale designer handbags is not fake and deliver what they promise to be on online stores. Designers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior and so on dictate the fashion world and dedicate each trend for a festive season or a vacation. The women in stardom follow these trends regularly and besides these celebrities, women all over the world would love to own one such fashionable wholesale handbag.

The latest fashion magazine, TV, or internet lures them more. Designer handbags are made with highest standards of fabric and have a real cute design. Classic collectors can afford to buy these handbags at retail's rates while many cannot. Hence, they go for wholesale handbags or replicas designer handbags also called designer inspired handbags. From designer handbags to designer inspired clutches, all look as good and as real as the original ones.

The wholesale handbags are usually designer inspired or replica of the original ones. When brought, these handbags give a feeling that you are carrying the original one while in reality the cost is much less than the original one, thus giving you the scope of buying variety of handbags within the budget. Some businessmen buy these replica handbags at wholesale prices and offer them to the customer at a margin on retail price. Today, almost every retailer and small boutiques offer these handbags at throw away price which really amazes the buyer.

Buying a fashion wholesale handbag can be a real tough decision as the store offers many designs and varieties and choosing from the best collection is no less than a skillful task. One may feel like owning every piece there but the budget does not allow.

There is definitely a marked difference between the original handbag and replica handbag especially when it comes to details on craftsmanship. The brand itself carries the image of quality which is not available otherwise. The signature handbags are on high demand amongst celebrities when a new trend of summer season (or for that matter any special trend) is launched by the leading handbag designer. It is definitely priceless for one who owns a real and original wholesale handbag, but to own one, it is not so cheap. It comes with a high end price tag which itself shoos away the most enthusiast buyer. The rising thefts on roads also fears off the buyers to go in for a original handbag. An original handbag brought with much interest, if lost due to theft, will leave the buyer with a heavy heart. Therefore, they prefer to opt for designer inspired handbags at wholesale prices.

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