Mothercare has revealed UK sales tumbled 8.8% in the fourth quarter, they warned trading conditions remain “challenging.”
The babycare chain said like-for-like sales dropped in the three months to 30 March, this was boosted by clearance promotions from shop closures.
Total UK sales fell 14.5% in the quarter as the company closed 40 stores over a three-month period, online sales were “significantly” hit due to clearance sales.
The store closure programme is now complete ahead of schedule, leaving 80 stores compared to 137 a year ago.
Mark Newton-Jones, Mothercare chief executive said, “Whilst this has been a difficult but necessary process, to right-size the UK, it has meant that we have had to say goodbye to many loyal and longstanding colleagues.”
He insisted the “disruption we have seen from both the organisational changes and the UK store closures is now largely behind us”.
He added: “Looking ahead, we expect market conditions in the UK and in some international markets to remain challenging.”
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