Fashion retailer Seasalt saw a 17 per cent year on year sales rise in the five weeks to 2nd January, thanks to increased online demand.

The Cornish brand, which has a store in Cirencester, also said a 20 per cent rise in international sales helped to offset the impact of Covid-19 store closures, as reported by Retail Gazette.

Online sales were up by 95 per cent on the same period last year, while store sales fell by 44 per cent.

Seasalt said that as a result of ongoing closures, store sales for the financial year ending 30th January are expected to be around 57 per cent lower than those for the previous financial year.

With online sales expected to have increased by 72 per cent year for the year, the retailer predicts overall sales for the year will be down by nine per cent.

Seasalt now makes around two-thirds of its sales online and, while stores remain important to the business, it expects online sales to continue to grow in the future.