Fashion and homewares retailer Laura Ashley has seen growth in both retail and like-for-like sales in the first 18 weeks of its financial year as it looks forward to continued growth during the rest of the year.
In the 18 weeks to 2 June, online sales grew by 18.8% compared to the same period last year following an upgrade of the Laura Ashley website and the introduction of a full mobile website. The company has also launched an e-commerce service for its French customers.
In the same period total UK retail sales increased by 4.1%, while like-for-like sales rose by 5.4%.
In a statement the company said: “The company is confident that its well-established brand, high-quality product offering and strong balance sheet will ensure the like-for-like sales growth trend continues across the retail business for the rest of 2012.”
