Festive sales boost Dixons

iPods and flat screen TVs a hit

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in IT Channel, 12th January 2005 13:15 GMT

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Dixons has posted better-than-expected figures for the crucial Christmas trading period as shoppers raided their stores for a string of digital goodies.

The high street electrical retailer - which includes brands Currys, Dixons, PC World and The Link - increased UK sales by two per cent in the eight weeks to January.

At Currys and Dixons sales were strong, driven by the sale of iPods and MP3 players, digital cameras and other imaging gear, flat panel TVs and portable DVD players.

The sale of games consoles was disappointing largely due to "industry-wide supply chain issues with PS2 and X-box", the company said today in a trading update.

But it wasn't all good news. Sales at PC World were below forecast - which execs blamed on lower PC prices. Like-for-like sales at mobile phone outfit The Link were also flat.

Said Dixons Group chief exec John Clare: "As anticipated in November, we had planned for a challenging trading environment in the UK throughout the peak period."

Dixons "remains cautious" about the prospects for consumer expenditure in the UK as economic pressures hit consumer spending. The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal that consumer confidence has been hit by successive interest rate rises with like-for-sales dipping by 0.4 per cent in December.

At lunch shares in Dixons were up 3.25p (2 per cent) at 159.75p. ®