Heat fails to help Blacks Leisure

The hot weather failed to lift sales at Blacks

June's heatwave failed to provide a lift in sales for outdoor clothing and equipment firm Blacks Leisure.

The Millets and Blacks stores owner said like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks to 11 July were down by 1.8%.

The decline was worse than the 0.5% fall previously reported for the first 12 weeks of that period.

Blacks also said it was in an "advanced stage of negotiation" concerning the renewal of its lending arrangements with Lloyds bank.

It said it was confident that this would be completed quickly to allow the group to continue its business turnaround plan.

Blacks said its outdoor division had seen a 1.6% drop in sales, while its Freespirit and O'Neill boardwear arm saw sales fall 3.2%.

The firm says the decrease was partly down to the conversion of seven boardwear outlets to its outdoor format earlier in the year.

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