MOTHERCARE’S long run of quarterly UK sales growth came to an end yesterday after it revealed the impact of recent “extreme” weather on trading.

The parenting retailer saw its first drop in UK like-for-like sales for 19 quarters after a 1.6% decline in the 11 weeks to March 27.

It said the snow disruption on UK high streets in January forced it to extend its winter sale, although the impact was offset by tight cost control.

Across the financial year, UK like-for-like sales rose 3% as Mothercare’s worldwide estate generated revenues of more than £1bn for the first time. Total group sales were up 5.9% in the year and by 3.3% in the fourth quarter.

Chief executive Ben Gordon said: “We continue to manage the business tightly in an uncertain consumer environment and are well placed as we enter the new financial year.”

Mothercare shares opened 2% lower yesterday.

Analysts at Numis Securities had expected Mothercare to achieve a small improvement in UK like-for-like sales in the quarter.

As well as the weather impact, Numis said the company had to deal with the return of VAT to 17.5% and tough comparisons with a year earlier.

The broker has dropped its forecast on profits from £40.6m to £39.8m, but said it remained positive about Mothercare’s “clear growth story”.

Alongside solid trading in the UK, Mothercare has seen strong growth overseas after inter- national sales lifted 19.3% in the fourth quarter and by 20.2% across the year to the end of March.

It now has 728 outlets outside the UK after opening 119 stores in 29 countries during the year, including in Australia for the first time.

There are now 387 stores in the UK.

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