Debenhams has reported a good Christmas trading performance with like-for-like sales up 3.5% on last year.
In a trading update for the 18 weeks to 7 January 2017, the group said that non-clothing lines such as beauty and gifts had grown, taking the non-clothing mix to 57%. Group gross transaction value was up by 3.7%.
Online sales saw another significant boost, up 13.9% on the previous period.
The retailer said momentum has strengthened in multi-channel sales growth. Smartphone demand was up by 68%, while it recorded an increased uptake in premium delivery services.
Chief executive Sergio Bucher said: “I am pleased with the performance we have achieved in the key trading weeks of Black Friday and over the Christmas peak, given the challenges in the broader environment and the strong performance last year.
“The resilience of Debenhams’ differentiated offer is beginning to show through, with the growth we have driven in beauty and gifting. It is encouraging to see that the service improvements we have made helped us to deliver strong multi-channel sales growth.”
| THIS YEAR | LAST YEAR | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage change on last year | 18 wks to 07/01/17 | 7 wks to 07/01/17 | 19 wks to 09/01/16 | 7 wks to 09/01/16 | FY 16 |
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| Group gross transaction value | 3.7 | 5 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 |
| Reported LFL | 3.5 | 5 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Constant-currency LFL | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
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