by Joelle Diderich
Posted Monday May 16, 2011
From WWD.COM
Hennes & Mauritz AB said same-store sales rose 11 percent in April after falling by 5 percent in March, as the Easter long weekend and sunny weather sent shoppers flocking into stores.
Sales in local currencies were up by 21 percent, a sharp increase over March, when they rose just 2 percent, the Swedish high-street retailer said.
In April 2010, H&M had reported a 6 percent drop in same-store sales and a 4 percent increase in local currencies.
The retailer only releases percentage changes for monthly sales and does not break out actual sales figures, although it will start publishing enhanced monthly sales data in June.
Figures for February, May and August, previously published in connection with the relevant interim report, will now be broken out separately, as will December sales data. H&M will also provide sales figures in Swedish kronor for each quarter in order to illustrate the impact of currency translations.
The store count at the world’s third-largest fashion chain stood at 2,264 doors on April 30, compared with 2,037 stores at the same time last year.
