Gem of a performance from House of Fraser

JEWELLERY sales sparkled at House of Fraser's Scottish shops over Christmas, helping the department store chain to post record festive trading figures.

Scotland was the best performing nation or region in terms of jewellery, posting a 35 per cent year-on-year rise in sales, compared with a 13 per cent increase in the UK as a whole.

Group sales were up 7.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the eight weeks to 2 January. That included the chain's "biggest ever Christmas week" and a 27 per cent year-on-year sales rise on Boxing Day.

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The company, which owns Edinburgh retail stalwart Jenners, said sales of its "house" brands rose by 33 per cent, with its Linea label – which covers clothing and homeware – up 24 per cent north of the Border.

Cold weather drove sales of knitwear and rugby sweatshirts from the Howick range, which were up 54 per cent in Scotland.

Designer labels were particularly popular in Glasgow, with Ralph Lauren up 12 per cent, Fred Perry 68 per cent ahead and Hilfiger Denim 14 per cent higher.

Management has concentrated on selling more branded items and offering a broader range of goods online. Boots, knitwear and cosmetics proved popular on the House of Fraser website, boosting internet sales by 91 per cent.

Chief executive John King said: "We are pleased with our performance over this key period, which continued a trend of improved performance over the year."