Comet is the UK's second biggest electrical retailer

The firm, which also owns French market leader Darty, said it made a pre-tax profit of �202.1m($367.3m) in the year to 31 January.

The group has benefited from strong growth in sales of digital audio and visual and multimedia products.

But that has been at the expense of the more traditional analogue ranges.

That has put a resultant pressure on the product margins of these goods.

"Turnover for the first two months are in line with the trends noted in the second half of last year," chairman David Newlands said in a statement.

"Nevertheless, prospects for a sustained economic recovery in our core markets remain uncertain."