Retail Week looks ahead to next week with full-year figures from John Lewis and Morrisons and Home Retail’s fourth-quarter update on the agenda.
Retail sales
The BRC-KPMG releases its retail sales figures for February on Tuesday. Retailers will be looking for signs that the positive start to 2016 has continued after industry like-for-likes rose 2.6% in January.
However, the grocers will be banking on shoppers being back on the booze in February, as last month’s Dry January impacted alcohol sales.
Grocery market share
Kantar Worldpanel and Nielsen both unveil their latest grocery market share data on Tuesday.
The Co-op will be bidding to continue its momentum, after the mutual became the fastest growing grocery retailer, aside from Aldi and Lidl, in January – the first time it had achieved that feat since 2011.
The discount duo continued to outgrow the market, while Sainsbury’s outperformed its big four rivals once again.
Embattled Asda lagged behind its biggest competitiors and will be seeking signs of recovery after reporting a 5.8% slump in like-for-like sales during the Christmas quarter.
John Lewis Partnership
The department store group reports its full-year results on Thursday, taking top billing on a busy day in the industry.
The retailer will be looking to bounce back after pre-tax profits fell 9% last year, driven by intense competition in the grocery sector.
Waitrose recorded a 23.4% fall in operating profits to £237.4m across the 53-week period, despite like-for-likes advancing 1.4%.
John Lewis operating profits rose 10.8% to £250.5m during the 53 weeks as jumped 2.6% on a like-for-like basis.
Morrisons
The grocer reveals its full-year results on Thursday, eager to build on the momentum gained from a consensus-busting Christmas performance and the re-launch of its Price Crunch promotion in January.
Despite the 0.2% rise in like-for-likes over Christmas, boss David Potts has warned the grocer still faces “a long journey ahead” as “the small guy in the squeezed middle” of the competitive grocery sector.
Home Retail Group
The Argos and Homebase owner will attempt to put takeover talk to one side on Thursday when it unveils its fourth quarter trading update.
In the 18 weeks to January 2, the two fascias reported contrasting fortunes as Argos posted a 2.2% decline in like-for-likes, while Homebase enjoyed a 5% uplift on the year.
Homebase is in the process of being taken over by Wesfarmers, while Argos is at the centre of a bidding war between Sainsbury’s and Steinhoff.
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