How the major retailers have fared over Xmas

What the major UK retailers have said about their trading over the crucial Christmas season so far:

:: Next (EUREX: NXTJ.EX - news)

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) across the sector soared on hopes that a positive trading result for the fashion and homewares retailer would be mirrored elsewhere.

Next (Frankfurt: 779551 - news) , the first listed company to announce its progress, reported last Wednesday a 1.5% rise in full-price sales over the festive season. It had forecast a fall of 0.3% because of financial pressures facing shoppers.

:: Debenhams

Share (LSE: SHRE.L - news) gains were reversed when Debenhams (Frankfurt: D2T.F - news) released an unscheduled profit warning.

The department store chain said comparable sales in the UK were down on December the previous year and admitted it had discounted heavily to compete - hurting its bottom line. Its shares lost almost a quarter of their value in early deals.

:: Marks & Spencer (Frankfurt: 534418 - news)

M&S reported a 2.8% fall in like-for-like sales for the 30 weeks to 30 December - saying it grew revenues in the run-up to Christmas but had been hit by unseasonal weather in October.

Food sales were down by 0.4%, blamed on consumers' tighter budgets.

:: John Lewis

John Lewis emerged as an apparent winner of the festive period as like-for-like sales at the department store chain climbed 3.1% in the six weeks to 30 December while its sister company Waitrose saw sales rise 1.5%.

However the John Lewis Partnership, which controls both brands, admitted that keeping prices down by absorbing higher costs had put a squeeze on profit margins.

:: House of Fraser

The department store said sales in stores were down 2.9% for the six weeks to 23 December and online sales were down 7.5%.

But it said its Black Friday performance in November was up on last year.

:: Morrisons

Morrisons was the first major supermarket to report Christmas figures, revealing a better than expected rise in like-for-like sales of 2.1% for the ten weeks to 7 January.

It appeared to partly confirm industry reports that squeezed consumers were still spending on food, and even splashing out more on premium ranges - leaving them less money to spend on non-food purchases.

:: Poundland

There is a crisis at the discount retailer's parent company, Steinhoff, as it battles accounting irregularities - with Poundland forced to deny it was having supply issues as a result.

The early evidence would support that assertion as the retailer said it enjoyed the best festive season in its 27-year history, with like-for-like sales up 6% over the three weeks to Christmas Day despite some wintry weather disruption.

:: Aldi

The UK's fifth-largest supermarket chain said it also had a record Christmas - with annual sales topping £10bn for the first time.

It credited sales of its "specially selected" premium range of food for driving 15% growth in December.

:: Lidl

Fellow discounter Lidl said it had enjoyed a record December with total sales up by 16% on a year before.

However the fast-expanding company did not offer a like-for-like comparison with the same period in 2016, since when it has added more than 40 stores.

:: B&M

The discount retailer, chaired by former Tesco (Frankfurt: 852647 - news) boss Sir Terry Leahy, was a Christmas winner after like-for-like sales rose 3.9% in the 13 weeks to 23 December.

That was thanks to a strong performance from food and other household essentials, and despite comparison with a strong period the year before.

:: Mothercare

Shares in Mothercare (Other OTC: MHCRF - news) plunged by 28% after the retailer issued a profits warning following a sharp drop in UK sales.

The children's goods retailer reported UK like-for-like sales fell by 7.2%, while online sales - which represent 42% of its UK sales - also tumbled by 6.9%.

:: Jigsaw

The premium fashion retailer refused to participate in the frenzy of Black Friday discounting - holding back on major promotions despite a "challenging" market. It said sales for the five weeks to 31 December were 7% up on last year.

:: Sainsbury (Amsterdam: SJ6.AS - news) 's

Sainsbury's raised its annual profit outlook after reporting a 1.1% rise in like-for-like sales over the Christmas period.

It credited better than expected savings from its takeover of Argos in 2016.

:: Tesco (Swiss: TSCO.SW - news)

Britain's biggest supermarket said like-for-like sales were up 1.9% in the six weeks to 6 January but though this was an improvement on previous festive periods, shares took a pounding as it was below expectations.

That was because while food sales were up 3.4%, there was a decline in general merchandise while tobacco revenues were significantly dented following the collapse of wholesaler Palmer & Harvey.

:: Ted Baker (Other OTC: TBAKF - news)

The UK lifestyle brand reported retail sales increasing by 9.0% over the eight weeks to 6 January.

It said profits would be in line with expectations - having held off discounting until the last week before Christmas.

:: Moss Bros (LSE: MOSB.L - news)

Shares in the men's tailoring and hire specialist tumbled more than 20% after it warned of a tough Christmas.

It said like for like retail sales over the 23 weeks to 6 January were 0.1% lower.

:: Superdry

The owner of Superdry said like-for-like retail sales rose 4.7% during the 10 weeks to 6 January.

The fashion firm booked a 13% rise in group revenue as online and wholesale revenues expanded by 31% and 20%
respectively though half-year pre-tax profits fell almost 30%.

:: JD Sports

The sports fashion chain raised its profit forecasts for the second time time since September after confirming like for like sales growth since July had been maintained at around 3% to date.

It predicted pre-tax profits over the year to 3 February would now nudge £300m - slightly above the upper range of market expectations.

:: Greggs

The bakery chain announced it would be picking up the pace of expansion in 2018 - despite a slowdown in sales growth over the festive season.

It reported a 3.7% rise in like-for-like sales last year, easing to 3% in the final three months as it came up against tough comparisons from a strong performance the previous Christmas.

:: Halfords

The car repair to bicycle retailer said it achieved record Black Friday and Christmas sales.

Like for like sales in the 15 weeks to 12 January rose 2.7% for the group - aided by strong demand for cycle repair and dashcams but the retailer - like many in the sector - said it expected UK demand to remain "subdued" this year.

:: Primark

The discount fashion and homewares chain also reported its best ever performance in the week before Christmas.

Sales in the 16 weeks to 6 January were 7% ahead of the same period last year, according to its parent firm Associated British Foods (LSE: ABF.L - news) .