Originally published by Retail Gazette.
The Cotswold Company’s sales jumped over the golden quarter as consumers refreshed their homes ahead of Christmas.
The home furnishings retailer saw orders surge 13% to £16.4m in the nine weeks to December 31, up £1.8m on the same period last year and 64% on pre-Covid results.
The retailer attributed the sales advance to its ongoing investment into online and retail showrooms, which it said has led to a 14% increase in active customers year-on-year.
For its online channel – which represents 80% of the business – the bounce rate dropped 9% while conversions edged up 3%.
In-store sales skyrocketed 19% during the golden period, boosted by an 11% growth in footfall which the retailer said was driven by geo-targeted digital marketing.
Chief executive Ralph Tucker said: “At The Cotswold Company, we are seeing consumers move away from ‘throwaway’ furniture in favour of high-quality, made-to-last products that better reflect their personalities across all rooms of the home – particularly in the run-up to hosting guests at Christmas and New Year.
“Our long-term focus on product quality, combined with investments in our omni-channel model, including optimising the online user experience and delivery service, are driving conversions and customer engagement.
“Looking ahead, we are confident that our online-led model underpinned with high-quality service and products as well as effective marketing investment will enable us to deliver our medium-term strategic goal of becoming the UK’s leading, premium handcrafted homeware brand.”
The Cotswold Company opened its 9th UK store in Bath last month, which it said was trading ahead of initial expectations.
