Burberry Turnaround: Inside the Burberry Forward Plan

The Burberry turnaround returned the brand to retail comparable sales growth in the 52 weeks ended March 28, 2026, with comparable store sales up 2% after a 12% drop a year earlier, according to Burberry's May 14, 2026 results. The plan, called Burberry Forward, resets the brand around its own strengths, led by outerwear and scarves.

What is Burberry Forward?

Burberry Forward is the turnaround plan led by Joshua Schulman, who became Burberry CEO in July 2024 after working at companies including Michael Kors, Coach, Jimmy Choo and Gucci, according to interactive investor. Burberry, founded in 1856, says the plan builds brand relevance and value creation, and Schulman credits it with "increased brand relevance and product authority." He called fiscal 2026 an inflection point for the company.

The retail analysis site RetailBoss describes the earlier direction as a push into a narrower high-fashion look, and describes Burberry Forward as a move back toward outerwear and British references. The table shows the three parts of the plan and the evidence for each.

What did Burberry's fiscal 2026 results show?

Burberry's fiscal 2026 results show a return to profit growth on slightly lower revenue. Revenue was GBP 2,420 million, down 2% at reported exchange rates and flat at constant exchange rates, according to Burberry's results release. Comparable store sales returned to growth from the second quarter and built through the year, and Greater China and the Americas were each up by double digits in the fourth quarter.

The profit and margin lines come from Retail Insight Network's report on the results. The call transcript puts fourth-quarter comparable sales growth at 5%.

Which products carried the recovery?

Outerwear and scarves carried the recovery, with both categories growing by double digits in the second half of fiscal 2026. Burberry opened 200 scarf bars during the year and scheduled polo galleries and trench destinations for fiscal 2027, according to Retail Insight Network.

Wholesale did not follow the same path. Wholesale revenue fell 4% in fiscal 2026, and Burberry expects a return to mid-single-digit growth in the first half of fiscal 2027, according to The Impression. The figures suggest that the recovery ran through Burberry's own stores and two product families while the wholesale channel lagged.

How did Burberry report its communications results?

Burberry reported earned media results to investors alongside its sales figures. In a transcript of the May 2026 results call, Burberry said a campaign launched in March in its 170th anniversary year drove a triple-digit increase in earned engagement versus last year, and strong double-digit increases in earned media value and press coverage. Transcripts of earnings calls can contain errors, so confirm the exact wording against Burberry's own recording before quoting it.

What risks does Burberry still face?

Burberry names macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty as the main risk to its outlook. The company cautioned that those conditions could affect consumer confidence, even as it expects revenue growth and margin expansion in fiscal 2027, according to Retail Insight Network.

RetailBoss notes that Europe, the Middle East and Africa was the only region that did not grow in fiscal 2026, and that the first quarter of fiscal 2027 will be the first test of whether the fourth-quarter momentum carried forward.

What can brand marketers take from Burberry?

Brand marketers can take three checks from Burberry, each tied to a figure in its fiscal 2026 results.

For the wider luxury category, see Everything-PR's luxury public relations guide and its fashion PR overview. A different reset, with a different outcome so far, is the Jaguar Copy Nothing rebrand.

The Burberry turnaround shows a brand recovering by returning to the products it is known for and reporting both the sales result and the communications result. Burberry's next test is whether the fourth-quarter growth holds into fiscal 2027.