For the 6 weeks to January 15, eponymous stores notched up like-for-like sales of 5.4 per cent, while Poundstretcher shops were up 2 per cent.
Margins for the 20 weeks to date continue to be ahead of last year. Over the period, Instore notched up a 1.6 per cent rise and sales at Poundstrecher were up 0.1 per cent.
However, Investec analyst Mark Charnock said that because like-for-like sales were behind forecast for the second half overall, coupled with some temporary cost pressures, Instore will miss market forecasts.
He added: 'While from here onwards, new store roll-outs will help drive profits, better performance is required from the existing estate to justify the current share price.'
Commenting on the results, Instore chairman Christo Wiese said: 'We believe this is a satisfactory Christmas performance against the background of a challenging trading environment, and are particularly pleased with the progress made by Instore, which showed strong like-for-like sales and has clear opportunities for further growth next year.'
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