Excluding the Mega Sale at the start of December, the festive period got off to a slow start for Foyles, with like-for-likes edging up just 0.1% in the three weeks to Christmas.

But the six-store retailer recorded a last minute rush in the final seven days to Christmas Eve with like-for-likes up 0.7% in the week.

Foyles said it outperformed the book market, citing Nielsen Bookscan data, which showed the market recorded an overall like-for-like sales fall of 0.4% in December.

All stores performed “strongly” excluding its flagship which continued to be impacted by the Tottenham Court Road underground station development, Foyles said.

Foyles chief executive Sam Husain said: “Given the disruption caused by the Tottenham Court Road underground station development, Christmas trading is much as we predicted. 

“While we expect this disruption to continue throughout this year, we have taken a long-term view and are confident that the street will be even more vibrant once the development is finished. We now look forward to re-establishing our flagship store next door in the former St Martin’s college in spring and opening a new bookshop in Waterloo Station at the end of January.”

Foyles said autobiographies in particular sold well over Christmas as customers bought those from Morrissey, Alex Ferguson and Yousafzai Malala.