Superdrug sales rise 9.2% in December

Superdrug has experienced a strong Christmas trading period, as total sales rose 9.2% in the four weeks ended 30 December and like-for-like sales rose 7.1%. The retailer attributed its continued focus on its online and in-store offering, as well as investment in providing “high performance” products at an affordable price. During the period, the group also saw sales of own brand products rise 10% year-on-year, while its cosmetics range, Studio London, grew the fastest and has contributed to Superdrug achieving 20% year-on-year growth in cosmetics and 9.1% volume growth in December. As a result, Superdrug now holds 40% market share of mass market cosmetics – its highest market share in 10 years. News of the company’s positive Christmas trading period follows Superdrug’s investment in the expansion of Beauty Studio services, with December seeing the launch of the latest studio in Jersey. In addition, the golden quarter saw online app sales rise 74% year-on-year and 127,000 new registrations for the Health and Beautycard, with total membership reaching 18.1 million. Peter Macnab, CEO of Superdrug, said: “We are exceptionally pleased to be reporting strong Christmas results and appreciate our customers' continued support. We understand the pressures customers are currently facing and are committed to supporting them and offering the very best in accessible health and beauty. “The strong sales growth in own brand products really demonstrates that customers are seeking quality products from a brand that they can trust, at an affordable price. Our continued investment in expanding the store estate and digital services, as well as in innovation, remain imperative and have helped contribute to an increase in sales throughout the December period.” He added: “I’d like to thank my colleagues for all of their hard work in bringing such a fantastic and competitive offering to shoppers and for their contribution to these results.”