The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AML Foods chief executive has told Tribune Business that the BISX-listed retail group’s same-store sales for the Back to School season were up year-over-year by “a couple of points”, adding: “We’ve got a nice momentum right now.”

Although Back to School is not as important for AML Foods as uniform and school supplies retailers, Gavin Watchorn said: “It went well for us.

“Same store sales were up a couple of percentage points. We’ve been hitting the same store sales trend we have been.

“Back to School has probably been getting a little later every year, reflective of economic trends, but we’re happy with what we got.”

Explaining that Back to School matched Easter in terms of importance for AML Foods, Mr Watchorn added: “It’s important, but it’s not make or break for us. We were happy we were up; it’s what we’d been expecting, and we were pleased with what we got.”

While AML Foods had to get through a September that was normally slow because Back to School had emptied consumer wallets, Mr Watchorn told Tribune Business: “We’re confident we’re going to have a good second half of the year.

“It’s because we’ve got a momentum going now, adding new things and new revenue streams coming on board. We’ve got a nice momentum right now.”

AML Foods is aiming to open its second Solomon’s Fresh Market store before Christmas 2012, plus launch its Carl’s Jr franchise in the Bahamas.