M&S group Q4 sales up 1.9% on strong international performance

British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) today reported 1.9 per cent increase in group sales in the fourth quarter on strong performance in international markets like India, China and the Gulf.
Marks & Spencer's international sales have jumped by 4.7 per cent, the company said in a statement.
In India, the company operates its stores in a joint venture partnership with Reliance Retail.
"The international business continues to perform well. Our priority markets delivered a strong performance with impressive growth in India, in our flagship stores in China and in the Gulf," the statement added.
It said the focus is on continuing to transform the company into an international, multi-channel retailer.

In the home market Britain, total sales were up 1.5 per cent.

While food sales grew by 2.5 per cent, clothing sales increased by 1.3 per cent. General merchandise sales increased 0.2 per cent.
M&S Chief Executive Marc Bolland said: "We delivered another quarter of improvement in General Merchandise. Clothing sales were up 1.3 per cent. We are encouraged by womenswear, which is showing clear signs of improvement."
Despite some improvement in consumer confidence, the company remains cautious about the outlook, the statement added.