Supersize TVs help Dixons buck High Street gloom
The retailer reports a rise in sales over the key Christmas trading period. …
Image copyright Getty Images The popularity of supersize televisions boosted Dixons Carphone’s sales over the key Christmas trading season.
The retailer saw sales of 65-inch TVs rise by three-quarters over the 10-week period to 4 January.
Sales of bigger screens in the £37bn global TV industry are growing as more content is made for higher resolutions, making better use of the screen size.
The increase helped offset a sharp fall in Dixons Carphone’s struggling mobile phone business, where revenue fell 9%.
In the first half of 2018, TVs with screens of 50 inches or more accounted for half of the total sales value globally, according to data firm GfK.
“The supersizing trend in TVs shows no sign of running out of steam,” said Dixons Carphone chief executive Alex Baldock.
The fall in its mobile phone business is in line with expectations, and Dixons Carphone has said that it expects this to be a “trough” year for the mobile phone business.
Mobile sales have been under pressure because people are moving away from high-value monthly contracts and are upgrading their handsets less frequently.
But overall, Dixons Carphone said sales for the 10 weeks to 4 January rose by 2%.
Dixons Carphone’s sales rise is a rare bright spot for an otherwise gloomy High Street.
Recent data from the British Retail Consortium revealed that retail sales fell for the first time in a quarter of a century last year.
And John Lewis recently warned that its staff bonus may be in doubt after reporting Christmas sales at its department stores dropped by 2%.
“We’ve had a good peak in a weak UK market and we’re on track to deliver what we promised for this year, and with our longer-term transformation,” said Mr Baldock.
“Dixons Carphone continues to bolster its credentials as a survivor,” said John Moore, senior investment manager at investment firm Brewin Dolphin.
“Its electricals and online businesses are delivering growth in a particularly weak UK retail environment,” he added.
Dixons Carphone’s figures were also lifted by the sales of smart speakers and other gadgets.
Mr Baldock also hailed its Gaming Battlegrounds computer game experiences, which he said was helping gather more customers.
However, he told City analysts that he was “not counting” on an improvement in the UK shopping market.
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