Toy retailer The Entertainer bucked the current
gloom on the high street to deliver a 10.1 per cent like-for-like
sales growth in the five weeks to 31st December, including a 36.7
per cent increase in online sales. Without disclosing specifics,
the company also said it experienced year-on-year profit growth.
Announcing the news, founder Gary Grant said the company was
planning significant expansion in 2012, including 12 new stores
and investment in the multichannel side of the business, which
will see it create 750 new jobs in the next five years.
N Brown Group, the home shopping giant behind Simply
Be, Jacamo and Julipa,
saw total group revenue increase by 2.3 per cent in the 19 weeks
to 7th January. According to a statement, trading was flat in
October and November but picked up in December. As a result of
additional promotional activity during the period, margin is
expected to take a hit of approximately 1 percentage point. It
also announced today that online sales grew 9 per cent during the
festive period to represent almost 50 per cent of total sales.
Commenting on international sales, N Brown said the US business
“met expectations”, but in Germany, N Brown cut back on its
recruitment activity as it focused on reducing the returns rate.
It says it is starting to see “early signs of
success” with its initiatives. For 2012, N Brown plans to
open at least five more stores after its bricks-and-mortar trial
of three Simply Be concept stores was successful in extending the
brand’s reach to new customers.
In Sainsbury’s trading statement for the 14
weeks to 7th January, total sales rose 7 per cent, making 2011 its
best Christmas ever. It recorded its biggest ever week, day and
hour for sales and delivered a record 160,000 online grocery
orders per week over the Christmas period.
Supergroup had a super Christmas too, with total group sales
reaching £79 million in the nine weeks to 1st January-an
increase of 22 per cent on the same period last year. The owner of
the Superdry brand said like-for-like
sales-including online -were up 5.8 per cent for the period and up
9.3 per cent in December.
Signet, the parent company of jewellers H Samuel
and Ernest Jones, said its UK brands delivered
flat sales in the 9 weeks to 31st December, with total growth in
the UK division less than 1 per cent.
Glen Senk announced he is quitting US-based apparel retailer
Urban Outfitters, where he was chief executive,
to pursue other opportunities. He will be succeeded by Richard
Hayne, currently president and chairman of the board.
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