BOOKSTORE chain Ottakar's has revealed that England rugby captain Martin Johnson's autobiography helped it record buoyant sales over the festive season.
The retailer, which has local outlets at Eastleigh and Lymington, saw total sales rise 39.9 per cent in the six weeks to January 10, with like-for-like sales up 7.7 per cent.
Growth was helped by the successful integration of Hammicks, which boosted Ottakar's selling space by 30 per cent and put it on track for 121 stores by February.
Book sales were lifted by Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and accounts of the lives of EastEnders star Shane Ritchie and singer Sting.
Analysts expect full-year pre-tax profits before exceptional items to be in line with market hopes, with the bottom-line figure at £5.9 million for the year to February 1 compared with £5.1 million previously.
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