N Brown shares plunged more than 14% as investors worried over the effect that promotional sales were having on the plus-size retailer’s margins. N Brown shares plunged more than 14% as investors worried over the effect that promotional sales were having on the plus-size retailer’s margins. The JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo owner said it had gained market share as a result of promotional sales, but lowered margin forecasts as a result. The retailer now expects gross margins from its product division to be between minus 225 basis points to minus 250 basis points, compared with a much shallower range of minus 70 basis points to minus 120 basis points. By product category, ladieswear’s mere 0.7% rise in sales was easily beat by menswear, up 4.1%, as well as footwear and accessories up 9.6%.

Source: Irish Independent January 23, 2018 10:07 UTC