Fashion brand N Brown's third quarter revenue rises, shares jump

(Reuters) - British plus-size fashion retailer N Brown Group Plc posted a 4.1 percent rise in third-quarter revenue, helped by strong demand for its women's clothing brands and solid online sales.

Shares in the company rose 10.1 percent to 223.7 pence at 0823 GMT, and were among the top performers on the FTSE Mid Cap index.

The company said revenue at Simply Be, its women's wear brand, grew in double digits year-on-year, helped by a strong online marketing campaign.

Online sales rose 12 percent and accounted for 70 percent of group revenue, Chief Executive Angela Spindler said in a statement.

N Brown, which has reduced its range of non-core home and electrical items to focus on fashion clothing, said group revenue for the 18 weeks to Dec. 31 rose while revenue from its three power brands - JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo - rose 10 percent.

The company cut its full-year product gross-margin outlook to between minus 100 basis points and minus 150 basis points, from an earlier estimate of minus 50 basis points and minus 150 basis points.

N Brown said it was comfortable with current market expectations for the year.

(Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)