New stores and the collapse of a rival have helped drive soaring sales at leading pram, cot and nappy retailer Baby Bunting.
Comparable store sales grew by 9.2 per cent in the six months to December 27, to $108 million.
The publicity created by Baby Bunting's strong debut on the share market in October and four new stores helped lift its profile among customers, chief executive Matt Spencer said.
Sales also got a boost from the collapse of rival retailer My Baby Warehouse in December.
"At the end of the day, we do expect there was some benefit flowing through from the closure of My Baby Warehouse," Mr Spencer said.
The strongest sales growth came for items including car seats, prams, cots and nappies.
The momentum has continued into the second half of the financial year, with comparable store sales up 11.2 per cent for the seven months to the end of January.
Baby Bunting has upgraded its forecast for full year sales from $218 million to a range of $225 million to $235 million, and expects underlying earnings of between $16.5 million and $18.5 million.
The chain expects to open one ore two more stores before July as it carries out a rapid expansion plan to double its 35-store footprint.
"We certainly have a growth agenda where we see ourselves get into over 70 stores into the future, opening four to eight stores per annum," he said.
The company's half year pro forma net profit rose 55 per cent to $4.3 million in the half year to December, while net profit dropped 23 per cent to $2.26 million due to expenses related to the company's IPO.
Baby Bunting shares gained two cents to $2.52.
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