Internet orders for delivery to home rose by 46 per cent.

Argos total sales were up 13 per cent, new stores contributed nearly 8 per cent. 13 new stores opened in the period. Like-for-like sales increased by 5 per cent. Argos Direct, the delivery to home operation, grew by 13% in the period and accounted for 25 per cent of Argos’ sales. Within this, Internet orders for delivery to home rose by 46 per cent, representing 8 per cent of total sales. An additional 10 per cent of sales were reserved by phone or the Internet for later collection in store. Sales at Homebase increased in the six months to 31 August 2006 by 1 per cent in total, of which 4 per cent came from new stores. Homebase opened a net seven stores in the period bringing the total to 304, of which 156 had a mezzanine floor.