New Zealand-based outdoor  footwear and apparel company Kathmandu will maintain a presence in the UK despite its six stores in the country still failing to turn a profit, and will use the overseas experience to prepare the group for a potential push into North America in the next three to four years.

Kathmandu chief executive Peter Halkett announced while unveiling the retailer’s 2011 financial results that the board had decided against closing its UK stores but would not open any more at this time.

Instead Kathmandu would work to restore profitability to the six UK stores, using multi-channelling to drive online sales and leveraging resources from its New Zealand and Australian stores to cut costs.

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