Total group sales were up 11.5 per cent in local currency and by 9.5 per cent on a like-for-like basis. Comet was the best-performing part of the group, with like-for-likes up nearly 11 per cent.
The performance was driven by strong sales of flatscreen TVs and heavy demand for multimedia products during the back-to-school period. There was also renewed growth in the white goods sector, which has done less well over recent years.
French business Darty also performed well, up 9.6 per cent like-for-like, but BUT did less well, with comparable sales up just 3 per cent against soft comparatives.
However, chief executive Jean-Noel Labroue sounded a cautious note. He said: 'Although consumer confidence is expected to remain robust in the short-term, we have seen a slowdown in the rate of growth towards the end of the quarter.'
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