Speculation about Berezovsky's cause of death ran the gamut from suicide to heart attack with some pointing to his declining fortune as a possible clue.

CNN: Russian tycoon's death 'consistent with hanging'

The figures confirmed a significant reversal of fortune for the company since 2011, when declining sales prompted it to announce a series of store closures as part of a strategy to re-orient sales towards the wholesale market.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports