Mothercare boss shows confidence in products

By PERRY GOURLEY
Published on 03/02/2013 00:00

BABYCARE retailer Mothercare recently disappointed the market with a fall in sales and last week saw its Australian associate fall into administration.

Mothercare posted a 7.4 per cent drop in total group sales for the 13 weeks to 
12 January. Although UK stores performed poorly, 
international sales rose by almost 15 per cent.

Chief executive Simon Calver said he was “encouraged by the new ranges and innovative product ready to go into stores for spring-summer 2013”.

He backed up his confidence by buying 18,310 shares at 325.25p each to take his holding up to 188,310 shares.

n Jan Castro, the non-executive chairman of minerals group Sierra Rutile, has bought shares for the second time in recent weeks.

He purchased 113,750 shares at 60p each to add 
to the 460,000 he bought earlier at 53p each. He now holds 1.46 million shares.

The company recently announced a 39 per cent 
increase in production over the past year.

n Steve Barber, a non-executive director at retail giant Next, has sold 5,000 shares at 4,024p each.

The group recently reported that full-year results would come in towards the top of expectations.

n Mark Wells, a director of retail chain Games Workshop, has upped his family’s stake in the company with the purchase of 1,450 shares at 655p each. He now holds 139,435 shares.