Pureplay retailer The Very Group has reported a lift in sales in the run up to Christmas, with strong demand for toys and beauty products in particular.
Very said retail sales at the eponymous flagship business grew 2.2% in the seven weeks to December 23. Including the legacy Littlewoods business, group retail sales declined 1.3% year on year however.
Toy sales rose 26% in the period, while the beauty and fragrance category was up 12.7%.
Sales of home products rose 10.2% year on year driven by furniture, which was up 14.4%. Electricals was up 1.4%, powered by an uplift in home appliances of 20.6%.
However, fashion and sports was down 6.6%, although womenswear and menswear were both up.
Very said it had increased its share of the total UK non-food online retail market to 7.8% from 7.6% year on year.
Group chief executive Lionel Desclée 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.
“We recorded year-on-year growth in Very and grew market share despite the challenging backdrop. 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.
“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.”
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