Dr Martens maintains guidance despite ‘challenging’ UK trading

Dr Martens has reported that trading since the beginning of the financial year has remained “in line with expectations”, although its UK operations continue to face a “challenging trading backdrop”.

Ahead of its AGM, the group also stated that all guidance for the 2026 financial year remains unchanged.

Regionally, Dr Martens reported positive trading in its Americas direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel, particularly in retail, where full-price sales have driven performance. 

In contrast, its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) DTC business remains mixed, with trading in the UK described as “challenging”.

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region continues to deliver growth, with South Korea performing strongly, supported by the company’s “well-established” shoes category.

Looking ahead, Dr Martens said its global autumn/winter order books are “healthy”. The EMEA order book is up on the previous year, while the Americas is broadly flat year-on-year but includes a wider product range than before.

As in previous years, the company expects its financial performance to be weighted towards the second half, especially in terms of profit.

The company said it remains focused on implementing its “consumer-first Levers for Growth” strategy, announced at its 5 June results. 

The plan builds on efforts in the 2025 financial year to stabilise the business and is aimed at expanding into new markets and profit pools.

Dr Martens said: “The strategy focuses on increasing consumer engagement, expanding purchase occasions, optimising distribution, and simplifying operations. Further details on our early progress in these areas will be shared at our first half results  in November.“