For the fourth quarter Urban Outfitters’ net sales rose 3.7 per cent.

Comparable retail segment sales increased three per cent in the period, reflecting double-digit growth in the retailer’s digital channel, partially offset by negative store sales. Wholesale revenues rose three per cent. Both the company’s Urban Outfitters and Free People brands posted an increase in comparable retail segment sales of four per cent while Anthropologie saw a rise of two per cent.

Urban Outfitters, based in the US, is a fashion and lifestyle group. A better assortment, higher consumer spending, and disciplined inventory control helped the company keep the discounting low. The company feels there is still scope for a reduction in this metric.

For the full fiscal year 2019, Urban Outfitters’ sales were up 9.3 per cent. Comparable retail segment sales increased eight per cent reflecting double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales. Wholesale segment net sales rose ten per cent. Over the course of the fiscal year, the group opened a total of 18 company-operated stores and added the company’s first five franchisee-owned locations to its retail network.

Anthropologie plans to accelerate its European expansion in the coming year, with store openings planned in Germany, France, Holland and Spain.