The Early Learning Centre acquisition and international expansion helped boost sales at Mothercare by more than a third in the second quarter of its financial year. Financial Times. The Daily Telegraph

Sales in the six months to 13 October rose 24% and 38% in the second quarter, most of which came from the addition of the Early Learning Centre, in June.

The company added 29 Mothercare stores and 16 Early Learning Centre stores overseas in the period. It now has 462 franchise stores in 45 countries. It opened stores for the first time this year in Armenia, Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, New Zealand and the Philippines.