Among the looming “challenges” flagged in Super Thursday’s trading updates, Brexit no doubt featured in the minds of many.

But it can also signal opportunity.

The fall in the pound’s value following the Brexit vote contributed to the Christmas sales notched up by department stores and other retailers in cities such as Edinburgh, Manchester and London as bargain-seeking tourists splashed out, payment data showed.

We also took a look today at how the home sector is faring, following the updates from Dunelm and Topps Tiles, find out how value retailer Shoe Zone is finding ways to attract more custom, and profile Tesco’s new chief customer officer Alessandra Bellini.

And we have a tour around the latest arrival on Regent Street, athleisure brand Lululemon.

All the best for a successful weekend’s trading.

Quote of the day

“It’s nothing like a recession, but it’s hard trading out there”

– Dunelm chief executive John Browett

Today in numbers

34%

Proportion of sales generated online by Fortnum & Mason over Christmas

25%

Growth in use of The Entertainer’s click-and-collect service at Christmas

Tomorrow’s agenda

It’s the weekend, so no updates. A good opportunity to digest all the last week’s updates.

George MacDonald, Executive Editor

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