Whistles and Hobbs owner TFG London posts strong Christmas sales

TFG London, the owner of the Whistles, Hobbs, Phase Eight, Damsel in a Dress and Studio 8 brands, saw a 4.7% increase in year on year sales in December, highlighting strong Black Friday trade and an excellent response to its end of season sale.

The company says it represents a continuation of the positive momentum of the first nine months of the year, in which TFG London sales increased by +42.0% to £318.8m, with comparable sales growth of +3.5%.

Ben Barnett, chief executive of TFG London, commented: “The positive sales momentum that we have seen throughout the year to date has continued through our Christmas trading period and into the launch of sale.

Adding to his comments, Lee Harlow, managing director of TFG London, said: “Despite a weak underlying market, I firmly believe that the operational strength of our brands, together with that of our balance sheet, will continue to present us with opportunities for growth. We are optimistic about the full year and the next phase of our brands’ development.”

TFG London is wholly owned by The Foschini Group Limited (‘TFG’), a leading South African retail group. Trading from a total 930 points of sale across the world, its brands are available in 254 concessions and stores in 21 international markets, excluding the UK and Ireland.

TFG itself now operates 28 brands across fashion, jewellery, homeware, sports, outdoor and cellular, collectively serving over 13.4 million customers each year through over 4,000 stores in 32 countries. TFG first entered the UK market through the acquisition of Phase Eight in January 2015.