Blacks Leisure on expansion trial
Outdoor retailer sees sales growth
July 18 2003
Blacks Leisure Group plans to open 20 new stores this year across its various retail formats.
The UK’s leading retailer and wholesaler of outdoor and boardwear clothing, footwear and accessories said there was a “healthy pipeline” of new openings planned for the current financial year.
In the 19 weeks to July 12, total retail sales across the Millets, Blacks Outdoor, Free Spirit and O’Neill retail chains increased by 9.6 per cent, with like-for-like sales up by 4.2 per cent, against strong comparatives of 19 per cent in the prior year.
Millets now trades from 246 stores and Blacks Outdoor from 67 stores. In the boardwear, Free Spirit now operates from 37 stores, with a new O’Neill flagship store opened in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, bringing the total to 11. The acquisition last week for Just Add Water added a further ten stores to the group’s Boardwear business.
