Bonmarché post uplift in first quarter sales
Women’s fashion retailer Bonmarché has reported a 1.5% uplift in first quarter like-for-like sales after this year’s warm summer boosted trade.
In the 13 weeks to 30 June, online like-for-likes climbed by 27.3% although in-store sales fell by 1.2% against a rise of 4.2% in the first quarter of the previous year.
On a total basis, sales were up 2.7%.
Helen Connolly, chief executive of Bonmarché, said: “I am pleased with the improvement in trading in stores compared to the second half of FY18 and in the continued momentum of our online sales, particularly against strong prior year comparatives.”
“The improved sales performance during the first quarter, achieved in a clothing market which, whilst helped to some extent by more seasonal weather, remains challenging, underpins our confidence in the strategy, and the board’s expectations for the full year remain unchanged.”
At the end of the period, Bonmarché was trading from 323 stores.
Last month Bonmarché reported a 27% uplift in its full year underlying pre-tax profit despite what it described as a difficult market.
