JJB Sports' revenue for fiscal first half, which ended on the 29th of July 2007, was 4.3% lower than the same period last year. Comps declined 4.4%. The most significant impact on the decrease in revenue has been the tough comparative figures set by the 2006 World Cup. While total retail store revenue is down 6.2% on the comparative period, retail store revenue excluding replica products decreased by 1.3% over the same period with small decreases in textiles and equipment being partly offset by an increase in revenue from golf products. Revenue from the health clubs increased by 21.2%.
JJB Sports' revenue for the 8 weeks to 23 September 2007 was 4.9% higher than in the same period last year and included a like-for-like increase in revenue of 5.2% (on operating units which have been trading for over 52 weeks). Included in the total revenue figures is the increase in revenue of 4.1 per cent from all the Group's retail stores (including those that form part of the combined units).
The combined gross margin achieved during this 8 week period was 380 basis points higher than that achieved in the same period last year. In retail stores, all the major product categories have benefited from both increases in revenue and in gross margin. These increases have been helped by the improved weather from mid August to September together with the launch of certain Premiership replica kits in the second half of this year's accounting period, compared to the launch in the first half of last year's accounting period.
