Castore, backed by Andy Murray and Issa brothers, crowned UK’s fastest growing retailer

British sportswear brand Castore, backed by prominent figures such as Sir Andy Murray and the billionaire Issa brothers, has been recognised as the UK’s fastest-growing retailer.

The Manchester-based firm topped the Retail Index list, which evaluates revenue growth over a two-year span, as reported by City AM.

According to the data used for the ranking, Castore’s sales escalated seven-fold from 2021 to £115m in the year ending 31 January 2023. This announcement follows City AM’s report in late October that the brand’s revenue had risen to £190.3m in the 12 months leading up to 4 February 2024.

However, the same accounts, filed with Companies House, disclosed that Castore had slipped into a pre-tax loss of £28.8m after previously posting a pre-tax profit of £14.6m the previous year. The company’s results indicate it incurred exceptional costs exceeding £24.4m in the year, pushing it into the red.

Even before considering these additional costs, the firm’s operating profit was drastically cut from £16.5m to £399,148 within the year. Moss Bros also features among the top ten in the Retail Index list of the UK’s fastest-growing retailers, which includes Castore, Harding+, The Modern Milkman, Assisi Pet Care, Pelham Group, J & A Beare, Edgar Brothers, Passenger, Nobody’s Child, and Moss Bros.