- Fashion and homewares retailer Laura Ashley Holdings Plc (ALY.L) on Friday 4 June said total UK retail revenue for the first 17 weeks of the current financial year rose 6.2 percent, aided by a growth in online sales.

The company, which has 229 stores in the UK and Ireland, said it remained confident of continued growth in 2010 and expected full-year trading to be in line with estimates.

For the first 17 weeks of the year ending January 29, 2011, the company said its like-for-like sales were up 5.3 percent year-on-year. Online sales grew 74 percent, while mail order sales fell 26 percent.

Laura Ashley shares closed at 13.75 pence on Thursday 3 June on the London Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)