| Abstrakt: |
PLASTERED on billboards, the photograph of her svelte form on a sun- drenched beach helped sell thousands of bikinis. Now Marks & Spencer must be hoping that Myleene Klass's appeal will help shift socks, pants, skirts, shirts, tops and trousers too. The company's figures, issued yesterday, show a slowdown in sales growth that threatens its revival. Recent store sales -- not including new outlets -- had a modest annual rise of 2 percent . This is well below the rate of 8.2 percent at this time in 2006. M&S says it has been weighed down by the extreme weather that saw the wettest June on record, and the impact of higher interest rates on spending. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
