JB Hi-Fi is stocking more fast-growing goods such as mobile phones, gaming and internet-connected homewares to insulate sales and margins as consumers become increasingly cautious amid falling house prices and rising living costs.

Australia's largest consumer electronics retailer managed to defy the slump in pre-Christmas foot traffic to deliver a better than expected 5.5 per cent increase in net profit to $160.1 million in the December-half by keeping costs in check and focusing on higher-margin products to offset pricing pressure.