Mothercare total sales slide but UK gets online boost

Total group sales at Mothercare fell in the third quarter, as weakness in the international business failed to offset an improving UK performance.

The retailer, which caters for parents and young children, said total group sales in the 13-week period to 9 January fell 5.4% year-on-year.

Within that, UK sales decreased 0.1%, while international sales slumped 9.5%, reflecting ongoing economic and currency headwinds. Worldwide revenue dropped 5.5%.

UK like-for-like sales were up 4.2% during the quarter, however, as online sales – which now represent over a third of total UK sales – grew 11.8%.

Chief executive Mark Newton-Jones said: "Overall group performance remains in line with market expectations, with our UK performance further improving and International continuing to be challenging."

"We remain firmly focused on our strategy to build our businesses both in the UK and internationally and our vision remains clear - to be the leading global retailer for parents and young children."

At 1045 GMT, Mothercare shares were down 1.3% to 220.95p.