Dixons Carphone hails 4% sales rise as shoppers '˜remain'

The Currys and PC World owner notched up a 4% rise in like-for-like sales across the UK and Ireland in its first quarter to July 30.

Chief executive Seb James said so-called shopper footfall had been “really strong” in the latest sign that the June vote to quit the European Union has not yet dented consumer confidence.

“We continue to see no detectable impact of the Brexit vote on consumer behaviour in the UK,” he said.

Official retail sales figures showed a far-better-than-expected 1.4% rise in July, which marked a rebound from June, when the high street suffered its sharpest sales fall in six months.

But not all big name retailers are convinced over consumer resilience.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street revealed on Wednesday that he feared shopper confidence had failed to bounce back to pre-referendum levels.

Dixons Carphone - created from the £5 billion merger between Dixons and Carphone Warehouse in 2014 - said it saw strong demand for televisions ahead of the summer’s Euro 2016 football championship, while sales were also strong for smart fitness devices and watches, as well as PC gaming.

The firm added that the Pokemon Go gaming craze had seen demand for mobile phone chargers more than double, as absorbed players run down their phone batterries whilst glued to their screens.