Barbour

Barbour in brief

• Rank: #51 of 100 in UK's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #2 of 5 in Luxury & Fashion.
• WCRC Power Score: 65.24 out of 100.
• Founded: 1894, by John Barbour.
• Owner: J. Barbour & Sons Ltd, South Shields, England.
• Leadership: Steve Buck, Group Managing Director.
• Latest revenue: £351m revenue (FY2025, year to Apr 2025, +9.0%), as per company filings.

What makes Barbour powerful

Barbour is a heritage name with deep roots in British fashion. Founded by John Barbour in South Shields in 1894, it is still family-owned, now in its fifth generation, and still based in the town. Its waxed jackets have moved from farms and riverbanks into city wardrobes. Accounts published in January 2026 showed turnover up 9% to £350.8m in the year to April 2025, with profits up 14%.

Growth is now coming from abroad, with international markets including Europe, the US and Asia driving the latest increase, and clothing and accessories making up nearly half of sales. The brand is also investing in its reputation: a shareholder donation to the Barbour Foundation, which has given more than £32m since 1988, and a British Fashion Council student contest to reimagine its tartans show a brand reaching younger audiences without losing its countryside roots.

Barbour's turnover rose 9% to £350.8m in the year to April 2025.

Why Barbour ranks #51

Barbour is 51st with a WCRC Power Score of 65.24, just behind Lloyd's of London and ahead of Games Workshop. Positioning & recall and Trust both score 68, reflecting the authority of its waxed jacket and family ownership since 1894. Product & innovation is 64 and Sustainability & governance 62. Digital & financial, at 58, is its weakest pillar, as a private company with turnover of £350.8m.

The Achilles' heel

Barbour's results swing with wholesale demand: turnover fell 6.2% to £321.8m in 2023-24 before recovering in 2024-25. Much of its business still runs through retail partners, and it depends on heritage outerwear remaining in fashion. It must keep its classic jackets desirable as trends move on and rivals copy the look.

The 2026 story

In January 2026 Barbour published accounts for the year to April 2025, with turnover up 9% to £350.8m and profits up 14%, as international sales grew and its wholesale arm recovered after a dip the year before. Group managing director Steve Buck leads the business. The company made a shareholder donation to the Barbour Foundation, including £1m for medical research at Newcastle University, and launched a British Fashion Council student contest to reimagine its tartans, with winners due in April 2026.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Luxury & Fashion brands
• Iconic British Heritage Brands
• Fastest-Growing British Brands
• Most powerful brands in England

Key facts

Sources

• Annual report and published financial results of J. Barbour & Sons Ltd
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data