21st May 2015 09:17
LONDON (Alliance News) - Darty PLC Thursday reported a rise in revenue in the fourth quarter of its financial year boosted by online sales and its 'click and collect' service and as it expanded its portfolio of stores.
The European electrical goods retailer said revenue in the three months to April 30 rose 3.5%, although like-for-like sales were down 0.5%. It said total sales growth resulted from the "increasing appeal" of its multichannel offering, with growth of more than 13% in like-for-like web-generated sales driven by a significant increase in 'click and collect', and as it opened six new franchise stores.
Darty, which now runs a total of 43 franchise stores, said its outperformed the market in each of its operating regions of France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
It said its underlying group gross margin was down 20 basis points, with an improving trend through the quarter.
"Despite improving consumer confidence our markets remain challenging, particularly in multimedia. We continue to develop our customer offer through initiatives such as the recent launch of same day delivery in Paris and Lyon, improve productivity and deliver our strategic growth initiatives," Chief Executive Régis Schultz said in a statement.
Shares in Darty were trading down 5.0% at 74.81 pence Thursday morning.
By Karolina Kaminska; [email protected] @KarolinaAllNews
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