Value department store chain Original Factory Shop has reported record sales over the Christmas period, with a year-on-year sales lift of 48.3%.

The fashion and homewares retailer also reported a profit increase of 60% for the four weeks ending December 27. Like-for-like sales increased by 16% for the same period, while like-for-like sales for the quarter were up 7.7%.

The Original Factory Shop chief executive Angela Spindler said: “We gave customers exactly what they wanted this Christmas by making their money go further and giving them access to luxuries at affordable prices, even in these testing times.

“Our quest to deliver outstanding value continues into the New Year, we will be holding the prices of current stock and not passing on the VAT increase to our customers.”

Last year the retailer bought 23 former Woolworths sites and there are now 130 Original Factory Shop stores. The retailer sees potential for 400 sites and this year will open 30 new shops, focusing mainly on small market towns and domestic tourist destinations.

Spindler said: “We are local, competition is limited and we are almost always the major non-food retailer in the immediate locality.”

The Original Factory Shop stocks a mix of brands at discounted prices, alongside its own-brand products.