ATHENS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Greece's largest toy retailer, Jumbo, posted a 15 percent rise in first-half net profit, as low-cost products including homewares helped it weather the economic downturn.
Retailers around the world have been hit hard by the global slump as consumers, fearful of unemployment and a protracted recession, cut spending.
Jumbo said on Thursday it made a net profit of 55.4 million euros ($61 million) in the six months to end-December, on sales up 15.7 percent to 276 million euros. The rise in profit bettered its initial 12 percent growth target.
The group, which operates 43 shops in Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, has targeted annual 15 percent growth in net earnings and sales from 2007-10.
Jumbo plans to build another two stores in Bulgaria by June 2010 as performance at its first store there, which opened in Sofia in 2007, has exceeded initial expectations despite the difficult economic situation.
Jumbo shares have fallen 50 percent in the past 12 months, compared with a 65 percent loss for the Athens general index. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 0.7853 euro)