Comet saw its like-for-like sales fall over the Christmas period, parent company Kesa Electricals has announced.
The UK retailer's festive sales dropped 7.3 per cent between November 1st 2010 and January 8th 2011, with record trading between Boxing Day and the new year weekend failing to halt this decline.
Purchases generated via the Comet website increased by three per cent, with Kesa claiming this amount was reflective of disruption caused by the implementation of a new software platform in November.
This comes despite the firm predicting midway through December that up to five million people would visit its website and mobile site between Christmas Eve and January 3rd.
And the electricals outlet is now expected to record a small loss for the whole of its 2010-11 financial year after sales have slumped further with the introduction of the VAT hike on January 4th.
Chief executive of the Kesa group Thierry Falque-Pierrotin said: "Darty France and the other established businesses delivered a robust performance, offset by softer trading at Comet and the developing businesses."
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