N Brown Group, the parent company of
Simply Be, Figleaves and
High & Mighty, reports solid growth in the first
half of the year, with sales up 4 percent to £363.7 million
and operating profit up 5.9 percent to £44.8 million in the
six months to 27th August. However, trading in the first six
weeks of the second half is down 1.5 percent on a like-for-like
basis.
Also of note in N Brown’s financial statement, is that menswear
title Jacamo is the company’s fastest growing brand, posting a
sales increase of 66 percent in the first half. Simply Be
experienced a “modest” UK growth, but saw
international revenue more than double during the period. What’s
more, Simply Be sales in the USA have already overtaken those in
Germany, where the
returns rate remains “stubbornly high”, said
chairman Lord Alliance in a statement. Losses on the
international activities more than doubled to £2.7
million-compared with £1.1 million in 2010-as the company
invested more than £3 million to build its customer
database. The losses are in line with forecasts of £4
million for the full year.
Secret-sales website BrandAlley recorded a 70 percent sales rise
in the first nine months of the year, to £23 million. Next
in the pipeline is an m-commerce website, chief executive Rob
Feldmann told the Independent.
Sainsbury’s has bought Global Media
Vault, the company that provides its online
entertainment platform, from MBL Group for
£1 million. The supermarket says the acquisition will help
support its push into the digital entertainment market. According
to group development director Luke Jensen, the new platform will
mean customers will soon be able to “buy, rent or stream
content” from Sainsbury’s website.
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