Maplin reports strong Christmas sales growth
Electronics retailer Maplin has reported seeing its best ever Christmas Day online sales as well as strong trading over the entire Christmas period with store and online sales climbing by 11% year-on-year.
In the four weeks to 26 December, Maplin enjoyed its sixth consecutive quarter of sales growth as like-for-like sales rose by 3%. Online sales increased by 24%.
The retailer said trade was boosted by the popularity of drones, which became this year’s ‘must have’ Christmas gift, with Maplin selling more than 10,000 this year alone.
John Cleland, chief executive of Maplin, said: “Whilst we’re delighted with sales across all our ranges, we’ve seen an unprecedented demand for drones this year, as customers look for new and innovative gadgets as Christmas presents. The sales have been across all Maplin shopping channels, with an impressive 40% growth in people shopping online, but choosing to collect in one of our 218 stores for added convenience and in-store help and advice.
“The eight weeks sales to Christmas were boosted by five days of the Black Friday campaign, which delivered a 72% increase in online sales and a 15% rise in shop sales.”
Maplin also saw strong sales of remote controlled toys such as a ride on sports car priced at £169.
Over the course of the past year Maplin has increased its product range to more than 30,000 SKUs with a focus on innovative and new products.
