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Retail Trading Update 2012

The late, late show

The 2011/12 festive period was set against a backdrop of extremely weak consumer confidence with signs that the economy was slowing rapidly. Expectations were therefore not high. Several retailers issued profit warnings in the run-up to Christmas, while reports from business restructuring firms suggested that widespread retail failures were possible.

However, mercifully, trading was better than feared. A significant late surge in demand during the final week before Christmas, with the timing of the festive holidays allowing for a full week of sales ahead of Christmas, helped boost spending. In addition, early and deep discounting, most notably across clothing, also played a part.

Click here to read the full report on the outlook for 2012

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