Superdrug has reported like-for-like sales up 1.7% over Christmas.

The figures are for the five weeks ending January 1, and include VAT, The Perfume Shop’s shop-in-shop concessions, and its NHS services.

Jeremy Seigal, chief executive of AS Watson Group UK, which owns Superdrug and The Perfume Shop, said: “Our Christmas trading figures are an encouraging start to the year.  2011 is set to be a year of cementing our accessible beauty proposition and sees exciting new brands launch, plus we’ve already committed to absorbing the cost of the VAT increase on all our own brand products.

“This year we also launch our first ever customer loyalty scheme which will enable us to continue to delight our customers on a daily basis.”