TOTAL sales at Jenners -

the prominent Edinburgh department store group - showed a modest rise of #34,000 to #19.7m in the

first half of this year.

However, after a slow

start in the six months to

July 31, sales at the flagship Princes Street store were down by an unspecified ''marginal'' amount, and fewer visitors to the Royal Yacht Britannia contributed to a ''disappointing'' performance at the Leith store. But the new outlet at Edinburgh airport made an ''encouraging'' start to the year.

Trading profits dropped from #518,000 to #372,000 in difficult market conditions, but pre-tax profits were more stable, declining by #14,000

to #754,000.

An interim dividend of

82p per share was declared.