Shares in Portmeirion have jumped by 56%.
Stoke-on-Trent ceramics company, Portmeirion Group is recording a surge in overseas demand as foreign markets recover from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak…
Stoke-on-Trent-based ceramics giant, Portmeirion Group – the parent company of brands such as Portmeirion, Spode, and Royal Worcester – is seeing a good level of growth in overseas and online demand, and reports “significant orders” from abroad. This comes as export markets and supply chains – that had been impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 – are returning back to normality.
Despite the growth in orders, the company’s ceramics facilities remain closed across Staffordshire, as the UK is undergoing a period of social-distancing.
However, following the growth in overseas and online demand, Portmeirion Group has insisted that the business does have enough warehoused stock to supply customers, whilst employees across the UK are furloughed.
A spokesperson for Portmeirion Group commented:
“We have good depth of stock in our warehouses, which will continue to supply our customers around the world. Although we are seeing short-term order reduction from UK and US retailers, due to government restrictions on retail store openings, our online sales grew strongly through March and we have a significant forward export order book."
"We therefore believe that, despite the uncertainty that the virus presents, the business is well-positioned in the short and long-term."
Shares in Portmeirion have jumped by 56%, up to £398.00 (31st March 2020, 8am) from £242.00 (30th March 2020, 8am).
Some operations have 'resumed' for the company – two production lines at the company’s Wax Lyrical factory (in Cumbria) have recently reopened, as Portmeirion look to meet the UK’s demand for alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Portmeirion Group state that the temporary product will be supplied to "local communities, care homes, the wider NHS network and pharmacists across the country".