Home furnishings sales boost Laura Ashley Laura Ashley said furniture and furnishings demand is firing sales growth as the group's more affluent customer base continues to shield it from the economic downturn. The retailer, originally famous for its floral prints in womenswear before moving into traditional-style upmarket home decorations and furniture, added that improvements to its website had also encouraged sales as it reported first-quarter results. "Fashion has shown flatter growth year on year ... home furnishings is where the growth is coming from," said Sean Anglim, chief operating officer at Laura Ashley. The resilience of the division helped the chain to a 4.1 per cent increase in UK retail sales, and a rise of 5.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis, in the 18 weeks to June 2. The homeware sector has been one of the hardest-hit areas on the high street as people delay refurbishment projects and big-ticket purchases. However, this has not affected wealthier customers at the chain, which expects retail like-for-like sales growth to continue for the rest of the year. The group also cited improvements to its online business, such as the launch of a mobile website and making it available in French as factors behind the rise. The division reported a sales rise of 18.8 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Mr Anglim said the group's UK performance had been "reasonably robust," but that the group would continue to eye opportunities to expand internationally. The retailer trades from 245 franchised outlets outside the UK and wants to increase its presence in South America, as well as push into mainland China. It is also examining licensing agreements in Brazil and Argentina, as well as looking for a suitable partner for entry into the Indian market.