Luxury group Burberry has brushed off controversy over cotton sourcing in China to report a 55 per cent sales rise in one of its most important markets and shoot past pre-pandemic levels.

The UK-based retailer faced a backlash in China after an international boycott of cotton farmed in Xinjiang province amid concerns of human rights abuses, which many western retailers soon sought to distance themselves from. Burberry depends on sales from the mainland as coronavirus-induced travel restrictions have kept the Chinese middle class at home.

Burberry said on Friday its activities in China had shown “relatively little impact” from the controversy, which prompted a brand ambassador to quit the retailer and a video game to take a stand against it. “We’ve just reported a 55 per cent increase in full-price sales there, driven by new younger customers discovering the brand,” chief financial officer Julie Brown said.