Homeware retailers experience strongest sales on high street says BDO

Sales figures from BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker for the week ending 14 June 2009 were as follows:

  • Total Sales: -4.9%

Total sales fell by 4.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis, the worst result for 16 weeks.

  • Non-fashion: -0.2%

Non-fashion retailers had a mixed week with luxury and gifting stores witnessing higher demand, while health and beauty and leisure related stores saw sales fall. The fact that Father’s Day is a week later this year continues to influence trade in many areas, with some signs that demand will pick up next week.

  • Fashion: -8.5%

Fashion retailers suffered a bad week with sales falling by 8.5 per cent.  In general only specialist stores, or retailers running promotions, saw any uplift in demand, with footwear, lingerie and womenswear the weakest performers.

  • Homewares: +4.5%

Homeware retailers had a good week by recent standards, with sales in positive territory for the first time in six weeks.  Lighting sales improved considerably, while demand for general household items also rose.  In addition, discounting helped furniture sales improve, although demand was still down on last year.

  • Non-Store: +43.0%

Although non-store sales remained comfortably up on last year there were some signs of weakness in a number of specialist fashion categories reflecting the downward trend reported on the high street.

Rupert Eastell, Head of Retail at BDO, says: “Against soft prior year comparatives it was a pretty disappointing week for most mid-market retailers, with overall like-for-like sales decreasing by 4.9 per cent.  Fashion stores in particular reported poor demand across most product categories, while non-fashion retailers also saw sales marginally slide.  The warm weekend weather probably discouraged some core shopping trips, while the Tube strike in London also made the trading environment more difficult.”

“However, surprisingly, some homeware retailers found the going comparatively easier, helped by improved demand for lighting and household items, caused in part by increased levels of discounting,” concludes Eastell.

Sales this week last year

This week last year sales fell across the board as increasing fuel prices and weakening economic growth took its toll on consumer spending.  Homeware sales in particular were extremely weak (-14.0 per cent), while both non-fashion (-1.7 per cent) and fashion (-1.6 per cent) were also in negative territory.  

Source: BDO High Street Sales Tracker

ENDS

For more information, please contact Dee Crooks at BDO on 020 7893 2761 / 07815 172 051 or email: dee.crooks@bdo.co.uk

Notes to editors:

BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker outlines weekly sales changes of more than 60 mid market retailers with some 10,000 individual stores. These are mainly located on high streets through the UK, however, they exclude grocers. The results are published every Friday.

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