Elderly and plus size shoppers save high street

While the high street may still be facing a gloomy future,

fashion ranges catering to larger sizes and older customers, or "plump and grey pound" as it is known, have proven successful.

According to the financial times, N Brown, the plus-size shopping retailer, reported that like-for-like sales were 1.6 per cent ahead of last year for the last 18 weeks, although promotional discounts are still needed to tempt customers to spend. Women’s wear concession Jacques Vert, which appeals to older shoppers, also reported a small boost to sales, which were up 1.7 per cent over the last nine weeks. Analysts believe this could bode well for Marks and Spencer when it reports first-quarter figures next Wednesday.

Small-cap jeweller Theo Fennell saw its shares rise by 11 per cent on Thursday’s full-year results, after it said that demand from affluent Chinese shoppers in London and its plans to open stores in Asia and the US would return it to profitability next year.

Source: FT©