Like-for-likes up 14.3 per cent
Fashion and furniture retailer Laura Ashley has revealed like-for-like sales up 14.3 per cent for the first 24 weeks to July 15.

However, the retailer noted the results were set against weak comparatives from the same period last year.

Half-year profits are expected to be in the region of£2.5 million to£3 million, compared with a loss last year of£200,000 before tax.

Laura Ashley said the market remained 'challenging and competitive', but the group was looking forward to a much-improved performance for the full year.

Analysts Numis said: 'Given that the rest of the clothing market seems to be finding life very tough at the moment, this represents a very impressive performance. It would be overoptimistic to extrapolate the existing trend into the year as a whole. But there is no doubting Laura Ashley has some strong momentum and we would expect to see further like-for-like gains.'

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