Careful nurturing returns babycare group to health.

Babycare retailer Mothercare yesterday said its turnaround strategy remained firmly on course after it reported a 4.7pc rise in like-for-like sales in the post-Christmas period.

The high street chain said it was encouraged by the performance in the 11 weeks to March 27, which it said reflected improvements it was making in the business.

Mothercare has undergone a revival in its fortunes since new chief executive Ben Gordon took the helm of the group in December.

Mr Gordon cautioned that it would become tougher for the group to meet year-on-year comparatives going forward. But he added: "We remain firmly on track with our plans."

Mothercare said improved product quality and availability was behind the upturn in performance during the period to date.

In the 11 weeks to March 27, total UK store sales rose by 2.2pc against the same period last year.

For the 24 weeks to March 27, representing the second half of the year, total UK store sales increased by 2.3pc with UK store like-for-like sales up by 5.3pc.

The group, which has about 240 UK shops and 174 international franchises, said its store refit programme was progressing well.

It has now refurbished 35 stores, which are continuing to perform ahead of the chain.

The group's gross margin improvement in the first half of the year had been sustained throughout the year and it had made significant investment in the business to support the turnaround and long-term growth, it said.

It added that its direct sales and international businesses continued to perform well.

The group is announcing its full year results on May 20.

It said in a trading update earlier this year that it had been pleased with how the business had performed over Christmas, with strong sales in both clothing and home and travel ranges.