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Strong sales in its UK campus stores have helped John Smith & Son to report a sales increase of 3.1% in its latest trading results.
The academic and specialist bookseller reported sales were up from £39.3m to £40.5m for the year ending 31st May 2010. Profit before tax increased 5.4% to £378,000.
It said sales were driven particularly by its UK campus stores, where like for likes increased 6.7% and total sales were up 12%.
During that year the group, which also runs a specialist medical website in conjunction with the British Medical Association, opened two new stores at the University of Southampton and University of Chester and relocated stores at the University of Glasgow, Sussex and East London. It now has a total of 25 specialist bookshops.
Peter Gray, chairman and c.e.o. of John Smith, said: “This has been an extremely challenging year for our sector so I am delighted to report that the group continues to perform well and that our strategy for providing exceptional service, using innovation and technology enables us to take the business forward.
“Without a doubt, we will maintain our investment in people and systems to drive the future development of the company, and this performance is a credit to all our people whom I would like to thank for their ongoing hard work and dedication.”
John Smith's legal division has also seen increased custom and the international division based in Botswana has seen a year of “strong sales and profit generation” and continues to distribute books into the wider African market.