It is going to be a busy week for the UK retail industry as a sting of traders report on their Xmas performance.
First up today,already under pressure HMV which has seen its sales fell 8.2 percent in the five weeks to December 31.
The group were on the brink during last year,with falling profits,saddled with 164 million pounds of debt and facing intense competition from online music sales,can take at least a glimmer of hope from the results.
The results were an improvement on like-for-like sales which were down 13.2 percent in the seven weeks to December 17,although analysts are pointing out that Xmas Eve falling on a Saturday helped that comparison.
According to Chief Executive Simon Fox,"The continuing actions to focus the business and to expand our technology offering are beginning to show through, adding that
"We are seeing a combination of a slowing of the decline in music and film, and acceleration in the growth of technology. Undoubtedly trading conditions and the consumer environment remain challenging, but we remain confident in HMV's future prospects
Meanwhile grocery chain Morrisons is forecasting a tough 2012 after reporting a slowdown in sales growth over Christmas.
The figures have surprised analysts who believed that the chain's strength in fresh food coupled with its lesser dependence than it rivals on consumer goods would see it reap the benefit of consumer cutbacks
Sales at stores open over a year rose 0.7 percent, excluding fuel and VAT sales tax, in the six weeks to January 1 but that was down from 2.4 percent growth in its fiscal third quarter.
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Showing posts with label retail sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retail sales. Show all posts
Monday, 9 January 2012
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Online sales bolster results for Next
Next has this morning become the first of the big shops to report on their Xmas trading results.
It will be an interesting few weeks of reports to see whether consumerism will keep the country afloat or whether we are going to be consigned to the doldrums for 2012.

Anyway,it is a sort of good news and bad news for the clothing retailer which says that sales are down but was cheered by the strength of online trading.
Results for its sales from August up until Xmas eve saw sales down 2.7 per cent but it was buoyed by a 16.9 per cent rise at its online and catalogue Directory business.
The firm says its post-Christmas sale period has gone well with final clearance rates slightly ahead of 2010 and as for 2012,it says it is cautious,expecting “profit before tax only slightly up on this year.
Meanwhile retail chain John Lewis have reported like for like sales up 6.2 per cent in the 5 weeks to 31 December 2011.
Its online sales jumped 27.9 per cent year on year, breaking through the £600m barrier in the year to date with the department store’s click and collect service seeing a 90 per centincrease in usage. The group though warns about the year ahead saying that 2012 will “undoubtedly be challenging”
Group MD Andy Street said: “Sales during the four weeks to Christmas Eve were outstanding." adding “The first week of clearance saw a very strong start, but against the pre-VAT increase week in 2010, it was always going to be a challenge to match sales, particularly with ‘big ticket’ items.
It will be an interesting few weeks of reports to see whether consumerism will keep the country afloat or whether we are going to be consigned to the doldrums for 2012.

Anyway,it is a sort of good news and bad news for the clothing retailer which says that sales are down but was cheered by the strength of online trading.
Results for its sales from August up until Xmas eve saw sales down 2.7 per cent but it was buoyed by a 16.9 per cent rise at its online and catalogue Directory business.
The firm says its post-Christmas sale period has gone well with final clearance rates slightly ahead of 2010 and as for 2012,it says it is cautious,expecting “profit before tax only slightly up on this year.
Meanwhile retail chain John Lewis have reported like for like sales up 6.2 per cent in the 5 weeks to 31 December 2011.
Its online sales jumped 27.9 per cent year on year, breaking through the £600m barrier in the year to date with the department store’s click and collect service seeing a 90 per centincrease in usage. The group though warns about the year ahead saying that 2012 will “undoubtedly be challenging”
Group MD Andy Street said: “Sales during the four weeks to Christmas Eve were outstanding." adding “The first week of clearance saw a very strong start, but against the pre-VAT increase week in 2010, it was always going to be a challenge to match sales, particularly with ‘big ticket’ items.
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Retail sales rises all thanks to computer games
Some good news on the economy this morning as retail sales are up in September.
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS),sales rose 0.6 per cent reversing a 0.4 per cent fall in August.
The rise,says the ONS,is down to back-to-school sales of laptops and a number of big video game launches.
However clothing sales fell 2.1 per cent on the year, their biggest annual fall since April 2008.That fall may well be down to the unseasonably warm September that we had
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS),sales rose 0.6 per cent reversing a 0.4 per cent fall in August.
The rise,says the ONS,is down to back-to-school sales of laptops and a number of big video game launches.
However clothing sales fell 2.1 per cent on the year, their biggest annual fall since April 2008.That fall may well be down to the unseasonably warm September that we had
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