The festive season started strongly at multititle mailer N Brown
Group, the company that operates Figleaves,
Marisota, JD Williams, and
Jacamo. However, December’s extreme weather
conditions had an adverse effect on customer confidence,
increasing the worry that parcels would not be delivered on time.
And it wasn’t just parcels-N Brown also said that its catalogue
mailings and customer statement despatches have also been delayed
for the last four weeks due to a mail backlog. The company
expects to recoup some lost sales once the mailings arrive with
customers.
Overall though, revenues at the group rose 4.6 percent in the 19
weeks ended 8th January, with online sales performing
particularly strongly and accounting for 47 percent of total
sales.
In the three months leading up to Christmas, sales at upmarket
department store Fortnum & Mason rose 10
percent. Online sales during the period were up 47 percent,
reports the Telegraph.
Apparel retailer Hobbs received a £14
million investment from its majority shareholder 3i, writes the
Telegraph, adding that Iain MacRitchie,
formerly chair at sports-nutrition business
Maximuscle, has joined as chairman.
Also from the Telegraph this morning: private equity firms
are circling apparel retailer Phase Eight. The
article puts a £80 million price tag on the business, with
Towerbrook favourite to snap it up.
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