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Very Group has announced that its retail sales increased by 2.2% compared with the trading period in 2021 for the Christmas and Black Friday season, despite group sales dipping by 1.3%.
Compared to the pre-pandemic period in FY19, retail sales were up by 19.6%.
The group’s sales in the toys, gifts and beauty increased by 17.7% in the seven weeks to 23 December, and the home section rose by 10.2% year-on-year as the “standout” categories.
However, fashion and sports at the retailer were down 6.6% year-on-year, while womenswear and menswear saw a year-on-year rise of 4.8% and 1.3% respectively.
According to the retailer, game consoles and Ninja air fryers were among the best-selling items, as electrical item sales grew by 1.4% year-on-year. This was led by home appliances with an increase of 20.6% year-on-year.
Lionel Desclée, CEO of The Very Group, said: “Our team pulled out all the stops to deliver an amazing Christmas for the families we serve and a strong trading performance for the period. As expected, our customers prioritised toys, gifts and beauty items for their loved ones, justifying our decision to invest in stock within the category.
“Our performance was underpinned by our trusted supplier and delivery partner relationships and our highly automated fulfilment centre, Skygate, which allowed us to meet our customers’ expectations throughout the festive period.”
He added: “The impact of the high cost of living will create challenges for all retailers in the year ahead, but we’re confident that our combination of online retail and flexible ways to pay will continue to offer our customers the convenience, value and flexibility they need.”
