British womenswear brand Sosandar plc has reported strong year-on-year (YoY) growth in fiscal 2026 (FY26), driven by robust online performance, improved margins and a return to profitability.

The company posted a revenue of £42.3 million (~$57.53 million) in FY26 ended March 31, 2026, up 14 per cent YoY from the previous year, supported by a 24 per cent surge in own-site sales. The growth was fuelled by higher website traffic, improved conversion rates and increased order volumes from both new and returning customers.

Sosandar reported FY26 revenue of £42.3 million (~$57.53 million), up 14 per cent, driven by strong online growth, with own-site sales rising 24 per cent.
The company returned to profitability with PBT of £0.4 million (~$0.54 million) and improved margins.
Despite slightly missing revenue expectations, performance remained solid.
Strong third-party sales supported confidence in profitable growth.

Sosandar noted strong performance across all categories, from occasion wear to casual collections, reflecting its ability to translate trends into its distinctive design aesthetic.

Profitability improved significantly during the year, with profit before tax expected to reach £0.4 million (~$0.54 million), compared to a loss of £0.1 million in FY25. Gross margin also strengthened to 63.9 per cent from 62.1 per cent, highlighting the company’s focus on margin enhancement and operational efficiency. Sosandar ended the year with net cash of £8.4 million, even after £1.8 million in share buybacks, up from £7.3 million a year earlier, Sosandar said in a press release.

The company noted that market expectations ahead of the announcement had been set at revenue of £43.1 million and profit before tax of £0.4 million for FY26, indicating that profitability is in line with forecasts, while revenue came in slightly below expectations.

The brand continued to perform strongly across third-party platforms, particularly with NEXT, reinforcing its position as a leading womenswear label in the UK market. Trading with Marks & Spencer also began to normalise following earlier disruptions, with stock intake returning to expected levels.

Sosandar’s physical retail presence delivered a positive uplift, with stores entering their second year of trading and locations in market towns performing particularly well. However, the company noted that stores are still weighing on overall profitability as they mature, especially those located in shopping centres. As a result, no new store openings are planned in the near term, with a focus instead on improving profitability at existing locations.

Looking ahead, the board expressed confidence in the company’s strategy, emphasising that strong foundations are in place to deliver sustainable, profitable and cash-generative growth.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

The United Arab Emirates and Jordan have recently reached an agreement to develop a railway network in Jordan and establish the UAE-Jordan Railway Company.

The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.

The United Aran Emirates and Jordan recently an agreement to develop a railway network in Jordan and establish the UAE-Jordan Railway Company.
The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.
The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually.

The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually, with a total investment value of $2.3 billion. Both phosphate and potash are chemicals used in the textile industry.

The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Jordan’s Minister of Transport Nidal Al-Qatamin.

The UAE-Jordan Railway Company was formally established as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD Holding Company (L’IMAD) and several Jordanian stakeholders, according to an official release in the UAE.

The joint venture will be responsible for the implementation, operation and maintenance of Jordan’s railway network through its executing arm, Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network.

The project will enhance Jordan’s export capabilities and logistics efficiency by directly linking phosphate and potash production sites to the Port of Aqaba, significantly reducing transport time and costs.

It will also support comprehensive economic development and open wide prospects for job creation across multiple sectors, leveraging the extensive expertise of Etihad Rail.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

Sports company PUMA has appointed James Carnes, an experienced design, brand, and strategy leader, as its new Senior Vice President Creative Direction with immediate effect. In this newly created role, James will directly oversee creative direction, innovation, and product excellence and report directly to Chief Brand Officer (CBO) Maria Valdes.

With more than two decades of experience in the sports industry, James brings a unique combination of skills, which will help PUMA use creative direction as an important strategic lever to establish itself as a top-3 global sports brand.

Puma has appointed James Carnes as senior vice president creative direction.
Reporting to Maria Valdes, he will oversee creative direction, innovation, and product excellence.
With over two decades of experience, including leadership roles at Adidas, he will align design strategy with business goals to strengthen Puma’s global brand appeal and market position.

“James is a very highly regarded leader in our industry and he has been instrumental in shaping some of the most influential performance and lifestyle products, labels, and platforms,“ said Maria Valdes. “With a strong background in industrial design and a deep understanding of both athletes and consumers, he will play an important role in getting our customers and consumers excited about PUMA once again.”

Until 2021, James held several leadership positions in design, creative direction and strategy at adidas, both in Herzogenaurach and Portland, Oregon. Most recently he worked as an independent consultant and investor in the wider industry.

At PUMA, James will align creative direction with the company’s overall strategic ambitions, set the seasonal direction for the Business Units and create a long-term look and feel for the brand across consumer touch points.

“Creative Direction is about more than seasonal trends and colours. It is about defining how PUMA holistically presents itself in the market, harnessing the company’s portfolio of world class innovation, and deeply connecting with consumers,” said James Carnes. “We have the amazing opportunity to modernize the image and style of one of the most iconic sports brands in the world and I look forward to leading our teams and collaborating with my colleagues to make this happen.”

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)