N Brown third quarter revenue up 4.1%
N Brown, the owner of JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo, has posted a 4.1% increase in its third quarter revenue after trade was boosted by a record Cyber fortnight in the lead-up to Christmas.
In the 18 weeks to 31 December, JD Williams achieved double-digit revenue growth, with its online performance particularly strong, while Simply Be recorded double-digit growth driven by improvements in its product range and a strong online marketing campaign.
The company said Jacamo’s mid single-digit growth was set against a tough comparative last year.
At a category level, ladieswear reported the strongest growth followed by menswear and homewares although footwear sales were flat.
Online sales climbed by 12% and a record 77% of new customer demand was generated online during the period. Order frequency and units per basket both recorded good year-on-year growth, whilst average selling price was slightly down, as planned, as the company invested in price.
During the period mobile devices generated 72% of all traffic. Within this, smartphones now account for 49% of all traffic after smartphone conversion increased by 7% year-on-year.
Angela Spindler, N Brown chief executive, said: “I am pleased to report a good trading period, with standout performances from ladieswear and the Simply Be brand. All key brands and categories grew in the period, including our traditional titles which had diluted performance in the first half.
“We are benefiting from improved trading agility as a result of the transformational changes we have made. This was reinforced by our performance across Cyber fortnight which resulted in two record-breaking weeks for the business.
“In light of our trading performance, as we approach the year-end, we are comfortable with current market expectations.”
