Jameela Jamil helps N Brown drive sales at Simply Be

Jameela Jamil helped retailer N Brown deliver a strong performance during the peak Christmas trading period.

The model and presenter, who has experienced extreme weight loss and gain, is the face of Simply Be, one of the retailer’s “power brands” alongside Jacamo and JD Williams.

All three outperformed in the third quarter, each recording double-digit year-on-year growth.

Group revenues rose 4.1 per cent in the 18 weeks to January 2.

N Brown, which issued two profit warnings last year, said it was on track to meet full-year expectations, sending shares up 12 per cent and making it one of the top gainers in the FTSE 250 index.

Angela Spindler, the chief executive, told The Yorkshire Post: “We are really encouraged by how things have gone. It’s driven by our power brands.”

She said the group has much more flexibile and agile trading model which allowed it to respond to “bizarre” weather over the winter season.

N Brown now buys in season rather than ahead and advertising campaigns are designed in real time using digital channels rather print with its longer lead times.

Sales of T-shirts rose 17 per cent during the period, while rain macs and rain-related products rose 10 per cent. “It was warm and wet and that came through in sales,” said Ms Spindler, a former executive at Asda.

Online sales now represent about 66 per cent of N Brown’s sales compared with 58 per cent last year.

Looking ahead, she said the group’s new “all-singing, all-dancing” website will help her international expansion ambitions.

Sales in the US rose 28 per cent during the last quarter. They were up 4 per cent in Ireland.

Miss Jamil became a brand ambassador for N Brown in October. “She is a real ambassador for body confidence, for the plus-sized lady,” said Ms Spindler.

“She is also a fashion icon, she looks great and is a Radio 1 presenter so she has a great audience in terms of consumer profile.”

Clive Black of Shore Capital said: “Against the broader UK apparel market, we believe N Brown’s retail performance rests well noting challenging updates from Marks & Spencer.”

Mike Dennis at Cantor Fitzgerald said: “The shares have fallen by 26 per cent in the last three months due to the lowered full-year profit expectations although the risk to second half margins has reduced as sales are better and the improvement in UK discretionary spending and consumer confidence continues.”