Bonmarché makes good first half progress
Women’s fashion retailer Bonmarché saw its like-for-like sales climb by 4.3% in the first half of its financial year as it worked to improve its product offering and the customer experience.
In the six months to 30 September, store-only like-for-like sales were up 1.6% while online sales jumped by 38.6%.
Meanwhile, underlying pre-tax profit was In line with expectations at £4.2 million, up from £2.5 million in the same period in the previous year.
Total revenue grew by 5% to £97.8 million.
Helen Connolly, chief executive of Bonmarché, said: “I am satisfied with the progress made during the first half of the financial year. I have been encouraged by the way the teams have worked cross functionally to deliver an improved product offer and a better experience for our customers, whether in store or online.”
During the period, Bonmarché relaunched its denim range with higher quality, “more authentic” products. It also worked to improve the customer experience online and launched an in-store ordering system. In addition, the company is continuing to make system upgrades as it looks to deliver longer term operational and customer experience improvements.
Connolly added: “We are only at the beginning of the journey in some areas of our strategy and there is a strong plan to support future growth. I do not expect the clothing market to become any less challenging in the near future, and therefore remain focused on continuing to grow by profitably gaining market share.”
