N Brown sees older shoppers hurt by downturn

The online and mail order catalogue group increased sales by 4 per cent to £363.7m in the 26 weeks to August 27 – a rise of 1.5 per cent after the impact of acquisitions and new store space is stripped out.

Average selling prices rose by 12 per cent, but the group said more customers had waited for promotions before ordering, which had hit product margins.

Sales through its long-established catalogues such as JD Williams, where the average age of a customer is 60, fell by 3 per cent, while revenues fell by 5 per cent at brands aimed at older customers such as Julipa.

Chief executive Alan White added that current trading was also “extremely volatile” at present, with like-for-like sales down by 1.5 per cent in the first six weeks of the second half, with significant variations from week to week.

A strong showing from its menswear brands helped first half profits rise 5.9 per cent to £44.8m, with Jacamo, which recently signed up cricketer Freddie Flintoff as its ambassador, posting a 66 per cent sales increase. High & Mighty also saw sales rise by 7 per cent on a like-for-like basis through its 19 stores.

The proportion of online sales rose to 48 per cent, having increased by 17 per cent over a year ago.

The good performance from Jacamo helped sales of under-45 brands rise by 14 per cent to £128m and menswear overall by 16 per cent.

Ladieswear rose 2 per cent as Manchester-based Brown said customers are choosing to hang on longer to everyday clothing lines and spend on special items instead. Online lingerie business Figleaves got a lift from this trend, with underwear sales up by 20 per cent.

Brown added it raised its prices to offset an 8 per cent rise in raw material and labour costs in the Far East. It is now looking at a “significant” increase in goods sourced from UK-based textile manufacturers to reduce lead times and counter the rising costs.

Chairman David Alliance said: “The outcome for the year will be determined by customers’ attitudes to Christmas shopping for both clothes and gifts and also the year-on-year weather patterns.”