361 Degrees, the Chinese sportswear brand, reports that the comparable store sales of its franchisees advanced by 7.2 percent for the second quarter of this year, with an average retail discount of 28 percent and channel inventory of four months. This is based on the performance of 3,707 stores out of 7,404 franchised stores for the 361° brand at the end of June, taking into account only outlets that have been open for at least two years and operate with the group's standard system. The sample for the 361° Kids stores reaches 891 stores, which achieved comparable sales growth of 8.0 percent for the quarter. The company regards the figures as a signal of continuing modest recovery in the Chinese sportswear market, driven by higher volumes. It adds that a lower cost of purchase allows most of its franchisees to trade profitably, which supported higher orders at the company's buying days in April and June, as previously reported.

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