UK retail sales results out Friday will offer an insight into the broad performance of the sector during December.
Analysts expect growth to have remained steady last month, with the consensus estimate for the year-on-year increase in sales being maintained at 2.0%, the same as November.
The announcement follows mixed trading updates from UK high street stores over the past few weeks.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
On Thursday Dixons Retail, Europe's second largest supplier of electrical goods, posted a 7% increase in like for like sales over the Christmas period, while baby and maternity retailer Mothercare reported a 7.4% decline in sales.
Associated British Foods posted a 10% rise in group revenue, buttressed by a 12% increase in sugar sales and a 25% jump in retail sales.
While there were many retailers who gained from festive season sales, others failed to overcome difficult economic conditions.
Namely HMV, Comet and Jessops which have entered administration over the past two months.
Matthew Hopkinson - director of a retail information provider Local Data Company - told the Financial Times the collapses this year could drive the number of empty shops in Britain to an estimated new high of 500.
Meanwhile, the UK's main inflation rate remained at 2.7% for the third month in a row, in line with economists' expectations, revealed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Acal, Tarsus Group, UK Mail Group
GMS
SPARK Ventures
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bovis Homes Group, Record, Spectris
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retail Sales (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Baronsmead VCT, Baronsmead VCT 2, Carr's Milling Industries, K3 Business Technology Group, Northamber
-
Going part-time could leave a £58,000 hole in your pension: how to plug the gapThere are many reasons for switching to part-time work, but some savers don’t consider the impact on their pension until it is too late
-
Three bargain investment trusts to add to your portfolioThese three investment trusts are bargains compared to their net asset value (NAV), but one fund analyst thinks the deep discounts are unwarranted.
