Bonmarche profits up but sales take a hit due to warmer weather

The plus-size retailer’s sales slowed down during autumn

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Bonmarche has become the latest High Street name to suffer from one of the warmest autumns on record as shoppers shunned its coats and jumpers.

Chief executive Beth Butterwick said sales still managed to rise 11.8 per cent to £91.1 million in the six months to the end of September, but warned the latter part of the half suffered, with sales also taking a hit in the last two months.

She added: “These conditions have continued into the second half. However, on the basis that the weather returns to its normal seasonal pattern, the board expects the current year’s performance to be in line with its original expectations.”

The plus-sized fashion retailer also managed to boost pre-tax profits for the period by 68 per cent thanks in part to improved clothes and removing pricing uncertainty by selling more items at a lower full price, rather than using heavy discounting.

The retailer, which also refitted 11 stores and announced plans for a further 40 this year, has been one of the more successful companies to list on the stock market in the last year and has seen its shares jump 34 per cent since joining last November.

Investors were muted about today’s performance, with the shares flat at 269.5p