Young fashion retailer Blue Inc has recorded a 2.8% rise in like-for-like sales over the Christmas period.

The retailer said it stuck to its guns and kicked off its Sale on Boxing Day, despite the wave of red across the high street.

Blue Inc chief executive Steven Cohen told Retail Week: “Clearly the Black Friday event drew some momentum away from Christmas. We participated in Black Friday but it was only on selected deals. We held our margins until Christmas Eve and waited until Boxing Day to offer the real bargains. I’m pleased with the results.”

The young fashion retailer received £4m in funding from Unicorn Venture Capital Trust last month to help boost its online proposition and international division.

Blue Inc will kick off an online marketing campaign early this year and will pump money into integrating the back-end systems behind its Blue Inc and Officers Club websites.

The retailer also plans to expand its Eastern European franchise business into new markets this year. The business currently has fascias in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and two stores in Malaysia.