Fashion and lifestyle brand Joules was propped up this Christmas by its online business.
Total retail sales through its online channels, including its Friends of Joules marketplace, grew 66% year-on-year in the seven weeks to January 3.
The retailer attributed this to improved conversion rates and higher traffic across all its digital platforms.
Due to enforced store closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, in-store sales for the same period declined by 58% year on year.
During the periods where stores were allowed to open, Joules reported a 23% drop in revenue compared with the previous year, as many shoppers chose to stay home.
Joules’ active customer base increased to 1.5 million by the end of the period, which the retailer hopes to build on.
The brand said it is anticipating losses of between £14m and £18m if stores remain closed in lockdown until April 1.
Joules chief executive Nick Jones said: “We are pleased with the continued strong performance delivered across our digital channels during the Christmas trading period and are encouraged by the increasing customer awareness of, and demand for, the Joules brand.
“This has been supported by our Friends of Joules digital marketplace, which added a great range of products and gifting options for customers throughout the Christmas trading period.
“Whilst the latest round of restrictions on store retail across the UK present a further challenge for the retail sector as we enter 2021, we remain very confident that Joules, as a highly relevant, digital-led brand with an engaged and growing customer base and healthy balance sheet, is well-positioned to navigate these challenges.
“As a result, we remain as excited as ever by our long-term growth prospects.”
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