Debenhams almost doubles Xmas online sales

Department-store chain Debenhams said its online business grew by 85 per cent in terms of sales and 57 per cent in terms of visitor numbers in the four weeks to 5 January.

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This is in contrast to a total sales increase of 4.4 per cent, compared to the same period a year before. Although the results were positive, the retailer recognised the overall poor performance across the retail sector in the weeks leading up to the holiday period.

In a statement, Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman said: "The fragile state of consumer confidence leads us to view the future with caution and we are running the business on the basis that market conditions will remain difficult. To this end, we are focusing more on our designer credentials, which we believe will be more resilient in this environment, as well as managing our cost base… and our inventory levels tightly."

In October last year, the retailer said its online platform and RFID tagging in the supply chain helped boost its performance.