Halfords sales get leisure boost

Halfords today said the hot spring weather sparked a boom in demand for bikes and travel goods, giving it a boost after a challenging year when sales came under pressure.

The chain, which has 464 stores in the UK and Ireland, said like-for-like sales were up 0.8% in the nine weeks to June 3, driven by an 11.1% rise in leisure items, such as those in its revamped cycling range.