 Royal Doulton's last UK factory is due to close next year |
Ceramincs firm Royal Doulton has halted a prolonged decline in sales, according to its latest figures. The Stoke-on-Trent-based company said sales were down only 1% so far this year after growing overseas demand offset lower wholesale volumes.
It follows restructuring, with 1,100 job losses and the closure of 42 shops. Its last UK factory, in Nile Street, Burslem, is due to close next year.
The firm's operating are losses down �2m to �5.7m.
Royal Doulton announced in March it is to close the Nile Street factory by the middle of 2005 after "staged" redundancies affecting 525 workers.
The company's restructuring followed falling sales and increased competition from overseas producers in recent years.
The pottery firm has still made a pre-tax loss of �6.4m but the company says it is expecting the second half of this year to be better.
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