RETAIL group Dixons said sales had picked up in recent months, boosted by shoppers buying televisions and video recorders ahead of the World Cup.

The group said like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks to September 8 rose six per cent.

Total sales at the group, which also owns Currys, The Link and PC World, were up 17 per cent.

Sales were particularly strong at the start of the group's financial year - the end of April - helped by shoppers buying goods such as TVs and video recorders ahead of the World Cup.

The figures are an improvement on Dixons' full-year figures released in June showing flat like-for-like sales for the year, after the downturn in the personal computer and mobile phone markets hurt trading.

Chairman Sir Stanley Kalms said: "Sales of TVs, DVDs, white goods and games consoles were strong, and personal computers and mobile phones have shown encouraging signs of recovery."

Sir Stanley said lower mobile phone margins meant margins as a whole fell.

"While it is too early to extrapolate these trends for the balance of the year, we look forward to a year of continued progress," he said.

Sir Stanley, who made the comments at the group's annual general meeting, is standing down from his role as chairman following 54 years with the company to take up the honorary post of president. He is being replaced as chairman by Sir John Collins.