Department store Debenhams became the latest high street store to disclose strong results on Thursday, seeing growth rise 5 percent on a like-for-like basis for the Christmas trading period.
Globally, the store saw growth of 3.7 percent for the 18 weeks ended 7 January, with online sales surging by 13.9 percent. In the run-up to Christmas sales of Beauty and Gifts grew strongly, taking the non-clothing sales mix in this period to 57 percent.
Sergio Bucher, Debenhams’ chief executive, said:
“I’m 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.”
Debenhams are currently in the midst of an ambitious store reorganisation, 75 percent of which has been completed. The chain has also been in talks with James Martin Kitchen and renowned London pizzeria Franco Manca, from which two new partnerships have been agreed.
Shares in Debenhams (LON:DEB) rose nearly 5 percent on Thursday morning, currently up 4.69 percent at 56.90 (1006GMT).
Bucher continued: “I witnessed the hard work of the executive team and all our colleagues, who made sure that we were able to deliver a fantastic service for our customers over such a busy period, complementing the great choice of products and brands that we have to offer. There is a lot more we can do to build from this base and I’m looking forward to providing an update on our plans for Debenhams alongside our interim results in April.”