A surge in sales at its Simply Be brand was the highlight of retailer N Brown PLC’s (LON:BWNG) first half though margins came under pressure.
Clothing sales at the outsize specialist rose by 7.5% in the half year to August driven by its three power brands, Simply Be, Jacamo and JD Williams.
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The three combined saw revenue rise by 14.3% with Simply Be notching up a 21% improvement while online sales were strong across all the ranges.
Margins, though, were affected by currency movements with a 1.9 percentage point drop.
Underlying profits [EBITDA] were flat as a result, at £32.2mln (£31.6mln).
N Brown has undergone a major restructuring under chief executive Angela Spindler and costs incurred meant a pre-tax loss of £27.6mln.
The interim dividend was maintained at 5.67p.
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Spindler said though Simply Be was the standout performer, N Brown made significant gains in the market share for ladieswaer against what remains a subdued consumer backdrop.
"In line with other retailers, FX rates represent a headwind and this was particularly felt this half," she added.
Second half trading is on track with forecasts.
Shares fell 4% to 337.4p.