Briscoe Group – the overarching company behind Rebel Sport and Briscoe Homewares in New Zealand – has managed to hold sales growth in the first half of 2026, driven by its sporting segment.
The group recorded record total sales of NZ$374.2 million (~A$302.2 million) in the period between January 26 to July 26 this year, which is up by just 0.79 per cent on the prior corresponding period.
Rebel Sport NZ drove the sales growth, with the sporting segment lifting by 2.56 per cent. This was offset by a slip in Briscoe Homewares sales of just 0.3 per cent.
According to Briscoe Group, Rebel Sport NZ benefited from heightened customer interest generated by major sporting events and successes during the period, including the FIFA World Cup, Auckland FC’s A-League triumph, the Warriors’ strong NRL campaign and the All Blacks’ successful home programme in the Nations Championship.
Homewares trading was more subdued. Demand for heating products was affected by a milder start to winter, while luggage sales were softer as international uncertainty influenced travel activity.
Online sales continued to grow, increasing 2.07 per cent, or by NZ$1.5 million, to NZ$73.4 million. Online sales represented 19.6 per cent of group sales, compared with 19.36 per cent last half-year.
Group managing director Rod Duke said that delivering record first-half sales, alongside a third consecutive quarter of sales growth, is particularly encouraging given the continued caution in household discretionary spending.
“Customers continue to move readily between our online and store channels, and both businesses delivered online growth during the half,” Duke said.
“The Adobe platform introduced last year gives us a stronger base to improve personalisation, search, customer communication and the connection between our digital and physical channels.”
Homewares online sales were NZ$48.1 million, an increase of 1.11 per cent, while sporting goods online sales increased 3.96 per cent to NZ$25.3 million.
During the half, Briscoe Group launched an upgraded version of the Club Rebel loyalty programme. The new rewards structure offers clearer benefits and is designed to encourage more frequent engagement and enable increasingly relevant and personalised communication.
The initial customer response has been very encouraging, Briscoe reported.
At the bottom line, Briscoe Group reported a net profit after tax (NPAT) of NZ$27.56 million in the six months to July 26, which is down by 5.9 per cent. The company also saw a gross margin decline of 58 basis points to 40.85 per cent, which appears to be slowing compared to last year when its gross profit percentage slipped by 154 basis points to 41.43 per cent.
“One of the more encouraging developments during the half was the continued moderation in the rate of gross margin decline,” Duke said. “Retail conditions remain highly promotional, but the work undertaken across sourcing, inventory management, product mix and promotional execution is gaining traction.
“That progress is particularly encouraging given the weaker New Zealand dollar and continuing uncertainty across global supply chains. Our focus remains on improving gross profit while maintaining sales momentum and strong customer value.”
Briscoe Group ended the first half with cash and cash equivalents of NZ$74.4 million, alongside the launch of a new distribution centre and the commenced rollout of a new store concept that combines Rebel and Briscoe in a single warehouse store space. Three more major store projects are set for the second half.
Looking ahead, Duke said the pace of the consumer recovery remains difficult to predict, adding that discretionary spending is likely to remain sensitive to household cost pressures and promotional activity.
“However, the business enters the second half with positive sales momentum, an improving gross margin trend, and several significant strategic initiatives now moving from investment into execution.”