Dixons strikes it lucky with festive sales boom

Boxing Day busiest day for UK sales with £100,000 per minute ringing through its tills

Dixons Retail enjoyed a very merry Christmas, boasting a five per cent like-for-like sales boost over the festive period, driven by a booming Boxing Day.

Between 1 November last year and 4 January 2014, Dixons' like-for-like underlying sales in the UK were up five per cent, while its total group sales were up three per cent over the same period - its second consecutive Christmas of growth.

The Group's sales boom was partly led by rocketing internet sales, which shot up 23 per cent, but the UK stood out after a record-breaking Boxing Day which saw £100,000 per minute flow through its tills.

"In the UK and Ireland, the Black Friday weekend was remarkably busy, but was followed by a somewhat quieter couple of weeks as we approached Christmas Day," said Dixons chief executive Sebastian James. "From Boxing Day, the business took off like a rocket."

James added that despite the promising Christmas, he is realistic about the rest of the year's performance.

"This has been a lively Christmas with plenty of ups and downs and I am pleased to report that we have turned in a good performance," he said. "We have consolidated last year's strong gains and I am confident that we have gained further market share.

"These are good numbers, but I am mindful that what recovery there is in the UK is still fledgling, and we continue to plan accordingly... I expect performance in the remainder of our financial year to be more modest than the year to date."