CATALOGUE company Great Universal Stores, which employs several hundred people in East Lancashire, has released interim figures which show that Reality group, their total business solutions company, has made an important start since its launch in May.

GUS has its north west regional office office and parcel depot in Blackburn and a call centre at Burnley.

The figures reveal that sales are up by 15 per cent with most of the growth coming from new clients. Seventeen new contracts have totalled a massive £119million.

Efficiency savings of more than £5million have also been achieved allowing better service levels and more investment.

Reality group chief executive Martin Trees said the achievements were made at the same time as a major investment in creating a whole new organisation which had turned the company from a disparate group of internal services into the market leader in its field and a dynamic £400million independent company.

He added: "The results of this first few months are very encouraging and a great credit to everyone in the business."