Christmas cheer on the high street

December delivered a positive surprise for the retail sector, with overall sales up by an annual 4.1% in December and like-for-like sales up 2.2%, the best figure since April’s royal wedding-induced jump.

December delivered a positive surprise for the retail sector. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), overall sales grew by an annual 4.1% in December and like-for-like sales (at outlets open for more than a year) grew 2.2%, the best figure since April's royal wedding-induced jump. Among this year's standout performers were John Lewis, which managed a record week in mid-December, and Debenhams, where flat like-for-like sales in the 18 weeks to 7 January exceeded expectations.

Marks & Spencer suffered its first fall in clothing and home furnishings for three years, but strong food sales ensured overall like-for-like sales growth of 0.5%. Sainsbury's and Wm Morrison respectively saw underlying sales growth of 1.2% and 0.7% over the Christmas period. Tesco lost market share.

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