Findel Share News (FDL)

Home shopping and educational supplies group Findel said like for like sales from continuing operations for the first 23 weeks of the financial year are 5% below the same period last year. It added that it Education Supplies division continues to experience difficult trading conditions, "caused predominately by uncertainty over public sector funding.""The division is adapting to current market conditions and a number of efficiencies have been identified and are being implemented while further cost savings and market initiatives are also being planned. These will go some way to help mitigate the effect of lower sales over time," the group added.Meanwhile the Home Shopping division had a satisfactory start to the new season, the group added, following last year's decision to cut jobs. The early recruitment campaigns for this year are going well however, with the business experiencing an encouraging increase in average order value, Findel said.