British retailers cheer Christmas sales, but City analysts warn of coming storm

Tesco’s like for like sales were 7.9 per cent higher, while Marks and Spencer pocketed a 7.2 per cent rise. Sainsbury’s also posted record Christmas sales.

Those bumper numbers, alongside a shock 0.1 per cent GDP rise in November confirmed by the ONS on Friday, indicate some of the worst bets on the UK economy may not materialise.

But, despite the decent set of results, shares of supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury’s dropped sharply, before rallying at the back end of the week. A similar thing happened to M&S. 

Retailers warned of a slow burning spending slump throughout 2023 in their forward guidance last week, prompting traders to look through their upbeat festive performances and instead focus on the year ahead.

The next few months will be tricky as retailers continue to battle cost pressures, higher interest rates and the cost of living crisis squeezing household finances.

“Retailers like a gentle inflation dynamic,” said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Finalto Trading, “but the current situation is more disruptive”.

Read more at City A.M.