And the (Christmas) results are in: Part II

Since our previous update many retail companies across the UK have posted their festive financials with several big retailers posting disappointing Christmas results.

Pure online retailers appear to have fared better over the 2017 Christmas period making good gains in a crowded market, whilst some of the more traditional bricks and mortar retailers have been left out in the cold.

However, the figures don't tell the complete story as increases in sales revenue as against the same trading period from 2016 don't necessarily reflect an actual increase in sales or translate into increased profitability.   For example, it is being reported that some retailers who rely heavily on food sales have seen revenues increase partly due to inflation (i.e. they have increased their prices to reflect increased input costs but aren't necessarily selling more).

We have highlighted some of the key figures from the financial press in the table below: