Topps not toppled by winter weather

Tile and wood flooring specialist Topps Tiles yesterday reported strong sales figures despite the snow that caused chaos for many retailers in December.

It said like-for-like sales increased 2.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2010, representing a slight slowdown on the 3.2 per cent growth in the first seven weeks of the period. Topps' management told analysts that sales would have been 1 per cent higher if not for the snow. The retailer is recovering from a dip in sales and profits caused by the recession.