JJB and Blacks sport festive gain

SPORTS retailer JJB has posted a 3.5% rise in like-for-like sales for the six weeks to 6 January. Although a slowdown on previous growth rates, chairman David Whelan said he was 'entirely satisfied' with the performance. Gains were seen across the product range.

Rival Blacks Leisure, under chief executive Simon Bentley, said underlying sales at its First Sport and AV chains surged 14.5% over the festive period but it won market share only at the expense of gross margins. With the Millets and other outdoor leisure stores achieving 19.9% like-for-like growth, overall group underlying growth was 17%.

In the furniture and furnishings sector, Homestyle warned it would not be able to meet the flood of New Year orders in time to book them as profits in the current year. Like-for-like sales over Christmas and the New Year rose 12%.