Halfords, the car parts retailer, has seen its sales grow by 11% in the first half of the financial year.

Halfords says it has capitalized on the growth of the 'boy racer' market, catering for young men who are prepared to spend significant sums on performance parts and accessories for their cars.

Halfords has also benefited from the sale of its garage servicing chain to the AA, back in 2001.

In doing so, the company exited a far more cut-throat market sector where it competed head on with the likes of the much larger Kwik Fit chain, vehicle manufacturers' franchised dealers and thousands of independent garages.

Profitability at the chain has been significantly improved over the past few years through a squeeze on suppliers and a focus on overheads throughout the business.

Source: Datamonitor