Sales at AIM-listed womenswear retailer Jacques Vert rose fractionally in the first 22 weeks of its financial year, but the company warned that trading has softened in the past three weeks.

Chairman Steve Bodger will tell the company’s AGM today that like-for-likes were up 0.2% in the period. He described it as “an encouraging performance in the current uncertain retail environment.”

However he warned that both sales and margin had weakened in the past three weeks, which he said was in line with the general retail market. “It is too early to say if this is a trend that will continue,” Bodger added.

Jacques Vert operates four brands, including Windsmoor, Planet and Precis as well as the eponymous fascia. It sells through about 1,000 outlets in the UK, Ireland and Canada as well as the web.