While the 10-week period to Saturday 4th April saw ScS perform in line with expectations, with like-for-like order intake up 7.6%, like-for-like order intake in the four trading weeks to 2nd May, commencing Easter Monday, was 15.9% below last year.
According to the retailer, "trading over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and the first May Bank Holiday was impacted by a period of warmer weather which coincided with peak sales periods, resulting in lower footfall in stores which, together with uncertainty over the outcome of the general election, has significantly lowered customers' confidence in committing to big-ticket purchases and resulted in higher levels of market discounting."
ScS' board expects trading to revert to more normal levels by the close of its full trading year on 25th July.
