Currys and PC World parent DSG International today said it was seeing improved trading across a number of its businesses as sales declines eased further.
The group said same-store sales across the group rose 1% in the last eight weeks of the first half - far better than the 6% decline reported in September and the 9% seen the previous financial year.
DSG said it had narrowed underlying pre-tax losses marginally in the half-year to October 17, to £17.6m sterling from the £17.7m a year earlier. Underlying half yearly sales were down 1% to 3.33 billion.
The company said it was making rapid progress with its renewal and transformation plan and said it was extending the reformatting of its stores to Ireland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy and Spain.
However, it added that the economic climate remains very challenging in Ireland. It said its Irish operations 'had taken all the right actions and will emerge as the leading specialist electrical retailer in that market'.
DSG said that total sales in the UK and Ireland division were down 11% to £1.6 billion with underlying operating losses increasing from £10.6m the same time last year to £16m.
'We have seen improving trends in a number of our businesses, particularly in recent weeks,' commented CEO John Browett.
'While we are cautious about the outlook for 2010, we are well positioned as we enter into peak trading' for the Christmas period, he added.
