'Strong Performance' At Express Gifts As Sales Rise 8%

Home shopping firm Express Gifts increased sales by 8 per cent in the past four months as existing customers spent more with the business.

Parent group Findel described the increase over the 16 weeks to July 23 as a 'strong performance' contributing to an overall rise in group turnover of 3.9 per cent compared to a year earlier.

'Customer numbers continue to grow as we move towards Express Gifts' peak sales period leading up to Christmas, with the majority of the sales growth coming from existing customers and retention rates improved by 5 per cent,' the company said.

Express Gifts runs a number of websites including Studio and Ace which sell fashion, home furnishings, gifts and electrical products.


The company said sales at its Kitbag website fell 4 per cent compared to the year before when it benefited from the Euro Football Championship and the build up to the Olympics.

It said it is working to improve the overall performance of Kitbag. It has recently been given the contract for onsite retail management at the Ryder Cup next year and it has introduced 11 international local language sites for partners in the past three months.

Findel is in the process of overhauling a separate division which supplies schools and nurseries with educational supplies.