Unsurprisingly, a generally mediocre performance but with pockets of strong trading

The key highlights of the analysis are:

• Nevertheless where retailers were successfully able to tap into the prevailing mood of consumers still wanting to spend on elements of luxury but within a tight value for money framework
• Average like for like sales increase was +0.8% across 42 retailers that issued trading updates but this did not fully recover Christmas 2010's average equivalent decline of -1.0%
• Gross margins remained under pressure with most retailers undertaking significant promotional activity in the run up to Christmas
• Retailers with a strong online presence benefited significantly

• The full analysis can be read here [pdf]