The Dune Group reports sales jump 13% in first three quarters

Total sales jumped 13% year-on-year over the period while sales in the third quarter alone soared 21% and like-for-likes were up 17%.

The group, which also owns the Bertie and Pied a Terre fascias as well as Dune, said online sales soared 30% in the first three quarters of the year and 52% in the last 13 weeks with 175,000 weekly visitors to the site.

Sales of women’s boots and men’s accessories have been particularly strong compared to last year, with the new men’s concessions in House of Fraser and John Lewis driving sales.

The retailer also said it has benefited from improvements to ranges which mean that this year its footwear offer has been less affected by unseasonal weather, which impacted its women’s business in autumn 11 and spring 12.

The group has also invested heavily in ecommerce and later this month all of its websites will be consolidated onto the Dune site (www.dune.co.uk) which will offer the full range of the group’s in-house and external brands. 

Next year local language sites will also be launched in a number of markets across the world.

International business is also said to be performing well with new stores having opened recently in Moscow, Kuwait and Dubai.

“We are encouraged by our trading so far during 2012 which reflects the strength of our Dune ranges and results from the considerable investment we have made in infrastructure and brand marketing over the last 18 months,” said executive chairman Daniel Rubin.

“We look forward with cautious optimism to the Christmas quarter as we continue to realise our multichannel ambitions in this our 20^th anniversary year.”

The group is also in the process of expanding its wholesale operation.