Leading retailers have blamed the unseasonably warm
weather for poor demand for Autumn & Winter fashion Next downgraded its
profit guidance from £795 million to between £750 million and £790 million, whilst also reassuring the City that
its introduction of transitional ranges for 2015 will help to keep its sales on
track. Meanwhile, as widely reported, N
Brown Group has also turned in disappointing half year results which some
attribute to its reduction in mailed catalogue volumes as well as the weather. Sales
fell by 0.6 per cent to £407.3 million at the group which is midway through a
major modernisation programme which will see it focus more heavily on its online
offering as well as open further bricks and mortar stores. The multi-brand business is also working to
even out its seasonal marketing spend. M&S
meanwhile achieved a small (1 per cent) increase in its overall first half
sales which reached £4.9 billion. Clothing sales for the six months to
September 27th were down by 1.6 per cent in total (2.2 per cent
like-for-like).
Share