Briscoe says first-half sales gains 4.3% as retail market faces growing pressures

Briscoe says first-half sales gains 4.3% as retail market faces growing pressures
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth Aug. 3 (BusinessDesk) - Briscoe Group lifted first-half sales 4.3 percent and will report a slightly higher profit on wider margins next month, shrugging off a growing number of hurdles facing the retail sector.  Sales rose to $292.2 million in the six months ended July 29 from $280.3 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based retailer said in a statement. Of that, homeware sales rose 4.5 percent and its Rebel Sport chain revenue gained 3.8 percent, while online sales accounted for 9 percent of group sales.  Managing dir...