New Look cut its statutory loss by £30.7m to £11.2m as initiatives such as a refocusing of the product offer began to pay off.

However, the retailer’s sales line looked less encouraging. Total revenue was down to £523.8m, from £601.1m in the equivalent period last year.

Like for likes in its core UK and Ireland market slid 7.4%. New Look attributed the sales fall to “ongoing consumer uncertainty and seasonal volatility”.