Sainsbury's clothing business continues "to perform well"

Sainsbury's, the UK's seventh largest clothing retailer, has reported a strong

growth in menswear, over 23 percent on year-on-year during its fourth quarter trading statement. This growth of apparel sales comes despite Sainsbury's overall sales dropping for the first time in nearly a decade.

The retailer's own clothing range, TU, has done well during the fourth quarter, amidst a decline of 1.5 percent of sales for the 10 weeks to March 15. Sainsbury's attributes part of its strong apparel sales growth to the announcement of its renewed contract with designer Gok Wan for a further twelve collections and the introduction of his eleventh collection.

TU new format was introduced to 53 stores through the country, following its successful trials and Sainsbury's is set to roll it out to 26 additional stores during the first quarter of the next financial year.