Sales of Sainsbury’s clothing brand Tu were up 10% during the fourth quarter to March 12, compared with the same period last year.
Sales were boosted by the latest Gok Wan collection, which launched in February and had its best ever start to the spring season.
Overall, the supermarket’s retail sales excluding fuel were up 1.2% and including fuel up 0.5%.
Chief executive Mike Coupe said: “We have traded well this year and are making excellent progress implementing our strategy. The market will remain competitive but we are confident that we will continue to outperform our major peers.”
As expected there was no mention of Sainsbury’s bid to take over Argos owner Home Retail Group.
Alison Pike, consultant at analyst firm Retail Remedy, said the Tu clothing brand had “nice product at good prices”.
But she added: “The fourth quarter brought a 10% lift in clothing sales but what continually grates is that Sainsbury’s has not fully maximised this margin-rich opportunity, opting to boost volume online rather than deliver a well-operated offer in store. It’s not as if it doesn’t have the capability – it does, so when will this be addressed?”
You might also like...
Clothing boosts Sainsbury’s second-quarter sales
Sales of Sainsbury’s Tu clothing were up 3.3% year on year in the second quarter of 2019, despite total like-for-like retail sales dropping by 0.2% at the supermarket.
Online sales growth continues to struggle
UK online sales edged up by 0.6% year on year in September, while clothing sales experienced their first fall in more than two years, down 1.2% compared with 2018.
Koovs launches new menswear brand
Indian etailer Koovs is set to launch a new menswear brand called Chelsea King, in an agreement with its investor, Indian retail group Future Lifestyle Fashions Limited (FLFL).
Getting Asos back on track
Profits have fallen at Asos. How can the etailer overcome its challenges to ensure sustainable growth?
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.