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Angling Direct has reported “record” revenues in its full-year results, with sales rising by 13.8% to £103.9m, and now expects EBITDA to beat market expectations.
The fishing tackle and equipment retailer said the revenue growth of its UK business grew by 14.8%, up 11.9% on the previous year.
UK like-for-like store sales rose 5.8%, pushed by greater football and transaction volumes.
The company said it picked up the pace of its store opening programme throughout the year, launching six new locations across the country while closing one poorly performing site.
It added that together with stores opened in FY25, these sites contributed an additional £5.6m of annual sales.
Angling Direct now has a portfolio of 58 stores across England and Wales.
The firm said its results were driven by the ongoing success of its MyAD customer loyalty programme, a more attractive own-brand-offering and internal improvement measures such as enhanced third-party product selection and availability.
It added that it had achieved its medium-term target of raising £100m in UK revenue within two years.
As a result, the group said it expects adjusted EBITDA in FY26 to hit £4.8m, exceeding market expectations.
Angling Direct CEO Steve Crowe said: “FY26 was the best year in Angling Direct’s history, delivering record revenues and profits despite the persistent challenging consumer backdrop in the UK. The team has been busy, opening six new stores in Chester, Burnley, Bradford, Stourport, Grimsby and Croydon, taking the total to 58 stores across England and Wales.
“We have also continued to develop our online offer while growing our MyAD omni-channel customer loyalty club to over 600,000 members at year end. In continental Europe, we maintained focus on our key markets of Germany and the Netherlands and continued to reduce operating losses while retaining optionality across our operations.”
He added: “The strong performance delivered in the year has culminated in Angling Direct substantially achieving its £100m medium term revenue target within two years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the AD team for their tireless efforts and continued dedication to our customers. As a result of this successful milestone, the board intends to update its medium-term ambitions at the group’s Final Results on 12 May 2026.”
