British retailer Mothercare, which specialises in products for expectant mothers and children, recorded a 1.7 per cent decline in total international sales to £393.2 million in first half of fiscal 2017. During the period under review, the retailer’s worldwide sales also witnessed a 1.4 per cent drop to settle at £627.9 million.

In the UK market Mothercare’s sales dopped by 1 per cent to £229 million during the six-month period, while adjusted profits for their international business fell by 208 per cent to £14.9 million. Total company revenues plunged 2.4 per cent from £347.7 million to £339.5 million despite challenging market conditions in the Middle East.

During the months under review, the retailer opened 68 new stores while closing down 83 stores that could not perform and around 127 stores were refurbished into the new modern format.