Retailer Maisons du Monde, which sells here online and via newly-opened galleries inside three Debenhams stores, grew half-year profits by a nearly third as its sales march continued.

It booked earnings of €8.1 million in the six months to end June, up 31 percent on the same period 12 months prior, as sales advanced 11 percent to €507 million.

The period also included €5.8 million of revenue from its just-bought Modani furniture retail business in the U.S, which it acquired this spring (see related).

The French furniture décor retailer made big gains internationally, with revenue outside France up 14 percent to €201.8 million.

Across its whole business, Maisons du Monde generated 18 percent growth online, to €120.2 million, with furniture sales (+11pc) outpacing lower-ticket décor items (+8.8pc). Furniture still lags as a proportion of sales, however, worth 47 percent of total revenue.

The period took in the launch of Maisons du Monde's debut UK physical stores, with three shop-in-shop studios — sized at 3,000sqft each — opening in Debenhams stores at Shepherds Bush, Manchester and Birmingham this spring.

Described by the retailer as a "capital light" way to open physical store space here, the large galleries carry lower-ticket home accents rather than furniture, which at present it sells here online.

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