RETAIL boss Sir Philip Green described trading as "competitive and unpredictable" today after sales at his Bhs chain fell 4 per cent in the past six weeks.
The update came as Sir Philip reported a 39.6 per cent fall in Bhs's operating profits to £30.2m for the year to March 29.
He denied himself a Bhs dividend payout for the fourth year in a row.
Sir Philip famously paid himself a £1.2bn dividend fr
om his Topshop-to-Burton Arcadia clothing empire in 2005.
The chain's sales for the full year were 1.4 per cent lower at £860.3 million, with like-for-like sales down 2.9 per cent.
Sir Philip said the group achieved a "solid performance in an exceptionally challenging market", adding that the results had enabled Bhs to invest £50m in capital spending in the last financial year.
It has completed the refurbishment of a further 14 stores since the start of the new financial year, with results from those stores showing sales 9 per cent above the rest of the chain.
Bhs has now refurbished 33 sites, including its flagship Oxford Street site.
Sir Philip added: "On a domestic front, the market remains competitive and unpredictable. The last six weeks have seen sales down 4 per cent, reflecting not only the market but also the continued impact of the erratic weather patterns.
"However, I have been very pleased with the performance of some of our product categories."
Childrenswear ranges were up by 5 per cent while Bhs home products outperformed the market with sales growth of 6 per cent, Sir Philip said.
Internationally, Bhs has 15 franchise partners operating out of 93 stores in 16 countries.
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