Superdry relaunches with new logo, store design and business model
Superdry, the British clothing brand known for blending American vintage-preppy style with British flair, is undergoing a full-scale reboot. Celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the brand returned to Pitti Uomo in Florence for the first time in over six years—marking a key moment in its transformation. 'I came back because I love this show—it's the best in Europe, maybe the world,' said Julian Dunkerton, co-founder and CEO of Superdry, speaking to FashionNetwork.com. 'But more importantly, I needed to feel proud of our product again. And I do—because we've rediscovered who we are. This is the right time to talk positively about Superdry again. Fashion's on my side too—preppy style is back. Once loved by 50-year-olds, now embraced by 18-year-olds too.'
A year ago, Superdry exited the London Stock Exchange. 'Thank God,' Dunkerton said bluntly. 'It was like being in prison. Now I finally have the freedom to lead again. This is our opportunity to rebuild.'
The new roadmap? A blended model focused on franchising, wholesale and concessions. 'We've already launched franchises in Spain and are very likely to do so in Italy as well,' he revealed.
The company closed its previous fiscal year on April 27 2024, with annual revenue down 22% to £488.6 million (€586.4 million), compared to £622.5 million in FY23. The drop was mainly due to continued weakness in the wholesale channel. Superdry is due to release its audited FY25 accounts in August this year.
Retail also declined, though less sharply, falling 16% to £371.6 million (€446 million), impacted by reduced physical store presence and a significant 18% decline in e-commerce revenue to £146 million (€175.2 million). The brand attributes this performance to 'well-known external and macroeconomic challenges,' along with a strategic reduction in digital marketing spend to focus on profitability. That move paid off: Superdry's EBITDA margin increased by 2.2 percentage points.
Superdry currently operates 89 standalone stores in the UK and plans to expand with new locations in Amsterdam, Saint-Tropez and more cities in the UK, with the next opening scheduled in six weeks. 'Britain remains our most important market, but France is absolutely crucial,' Dunkerton noted. 'Our European focus is growing. In India and Australia, we have key partners—like Brand Collective, with whom we just extended our licensing deal by 12 more years.'
He emphasized Superdry's strong value proposition: 'We offer what I think is one of the best price-to-quality ratios in the world. A Superdry shirt retails at around €60, for example.'
'I'm happy to refocus on our core business—apparel—and our womenswear line is doing especially well,' Dunkerton said. He ruled out further brand extensions for now, though Superdry recently launched a fragrance. 'All of our polos have been redesigned with a vintage effect. We've adopted a more refined brand aesthetic with a new logo. Each product category has its own distinct identity.'
Superdry employs around 3,000 people and has subsidiaries across Europe—though not in Italy, where it works with distributor Interjeans.
'We're undergoing a rebirth,' Dunkerton concluded. 'We'll transform our stores with updated interiors and a more modern in-store experience. Our wholesale partners love the new concept. Just last week in the UK, physical store sales rose 24% year-over-year. The new Superdry journey has begun.'
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