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ScS "encouraged by strong trading"
August 5, 2021
Leading flooring and furniture retailer ScS says orders were up 24% in June and July after a strong performance in post-lockdown sales.
In its full year trading update to shareholders for the 12 months ended July 31, 2021, the plc said: "The current and prior year have been impacted by regional and national store closures across the UK as a result of COVID-19. Encouragingly, when our stores have been open performance has been strong, with the final seven weeks of the [financial] year seeing like-for-like orders growth of 23.7% when compared to 2019.
"The same period in the prior year benefited from strong pent up demand following the re-opening of our stores in May 2020 after the first national lockdown," it said.
Despite ScS stores being closed for 17 weeks in the last financial year, it says the full year like-for-like order intake was down only 6.5% compared to 2019.
The Board's statement added: "The Board is encouraged by the strong trading performance since reopening and therefore believes that the Group is in a strong position as we enter the new financial year.
"The next few months still hold a level of uncertainty, with the tone of government messaging at present being one of caution. However, given recent trading and the strength of the current order book, the Board's expectations for FY21 and FY22 are ahead of current market forecasts."
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