OFS celebrates record Christmas
NORTH West value retail chain The Original Factory Shop has announced record sales for the festive period, with a year-on-year sales increase of 48.3%.
The Burnley-based group also saw profits increase by 60% for the four weeks ending December 27.
Like for like sales increased by 16% for the same period , and were up 7.7% for the quarter.
Angela Spindler, chief executive of The Original Factory Shop, said: “We gave customers exactly what they wanted this Christmas by making their money go further and giving them access to luxuries at affordable prices, even in these testing times.
“Our quest to deliver outstanding value continues into the New Year, we will be holding the prices of current stock and not passing on the VAT increase to our customers.”
The £100m turnover company said that one of its biggest successes during the year was the acquisition of 23 former Woolworths sites.
In 2010 OFS plans to add to its portfolio of 130 stores by opening another 30 new stores, focusing mainly on small market towns and domestic tourist destinations.
It is also to build a new 100,000 sq ft extension to its 145,000 sq ft Burnley warehouse and headquarters to support these expansion plans. Work is due to start early in 2010.
Ms Spindler said: “Our stores bring vibrancy and extra footfall whenever they open, benefiting other local retailers. They play a unique role within a small town, providing communities with the opportunity to shop locally whilst also creating local and accessible jobs.
“No other UK retailer fits this model. We are local, competition is limited and we are almost always the major non-food retailer in the immediate locality.”
