The Super Retail Group's auto, leisure and sport chains have all delivered positive like-for-like sales growth in the first four months of its new financial year.
The owner of Supercheap Auto, Rebel Sport and Rays Outdoors announced a trading update at its annual general meeting on Wednesday.
It said its auto division recorded like-for-like sales growth of five per cent in the 16 weeks to October 17, or three per cent on a like-for-like basis.
Its leisure business, which includes Rays Outdoors and BCF, reported a six per cent rise, or five per cent like-for-like.
And, its sports division, including Rebel and Amart Sports, recorded seven per cent growth, or five per cent like-for-like.
Chief executive Peter Birtles said all three divisions delivered positive like-for-like sales growth at or above market levels.
"Gross and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins have been higher than the prior comparative period in the auto and sports divisions and lower than the prior comparative period in the leisure division," he said.
However, he said, increased focus on competitive pricing in the BCF business and the inventory clearance program in Rays had driven sales but impacted on gross margin across the leisure division.
The group expects to open around 10 to 15 new auto division stores and refurbish another 65 during 2015/16, plus open five and refurbish 20 BCF stores.
In the sports division, the company plans to open six to eight new stores, relocate four, close seven and refurbish another 10 to 15.
Chairman Robert Wright told shareholders the rate of store refurbishments would increase as the group continued to roll out new features in each of its divisions to test what shoppers want.
The group suffered a 25 per cent slide in profit in 2014/15, largely due to $12.8 million in costs linked to the restructure of Ray's Outdoors and Workout World, plus a $16 million loss on the closure of Fishing Camping Outdoors.
The Rays Outdoors business has been rebranded as Rays and the trial of a new store format is on track.
Share
