JB Hi-Fi delivered double-digit sales uplift and strong margin growth in New Zealand during the last fiscal year.

The consumer electronics retailer lifted sales by 26 per cent to $499.5 million in the year ended June 30, with comparable sales up 15.3 per cent.

Management said the business continued to resonate with customers and expand its reach. Key growth categories over the period were mobile phones, computers, audio, small appliances and games hardware.

Gross profit rose 29.1 per cent to $86.9 million, with gross margin up 41bps to 17.41 per cent, driven by improvements in key product and services categories. EBIT rose to $4.1 million thanks to operating leverage from sales growth and disciplined cost control.

The chain’s Australia-based parent company, JB Hi-Fi Limited, delivered record sales of $13.3 billion during the year, up 4.8 per cent. Net profit after tax also grew 6 per cent.

While management said that the group experienced an uncertain retail environment at the start of the new fiscal year, the New Zealand business seems to be unaffected.

For the trading period from July 1 to 31, sales at JB Hi-Fi Australia slid 0.5 per cent, while the chain continued to record a strong 20.9 per cent uplift in New Zealand.