Supergroup, the fashion retailer behind the Superdry brand — worn by David Beckham and film star Zac Efron — will blast into the FTSE 250 next year with a stock-market listing valuing the business at £400m.

The company has hired Seymour Pierce to advise on the float, expected in the first half of 2010.

The listing will generate a huge pay day for its founding partner and chief executive Julian Dunkerton, 44, who controls 52% of the business. Dunkerton works in partnership with James Holder, founder of the Bench fashion brand, and Theo Karpathios, who each own about 19% of the company.

Superdry’s stock-market flotation is expected to raise at least £100m of new capital, allowing its founders to cash in part of their stakes.

Supergroup has defied the credit crunch to deliver astonishing sales growth. Like-for-like sales have soared 22% in the past 12 months and profits in the year to April 2010 are forecast to hit £25m — more than double the £12.5m generated in the 2009 financial year. It recently opened a flagship store in New York, another in Cardiff and is planning a minimum of 20 new stores next year, as well as more franchise outlets in the Benelux countries, Australia, Panama and Venezuela.

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