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Christmas Sales Report - Release 2
15th January 2013
Comment
The chart above bears out our thoughts in our first Christmas Sales report last week; it is not all doom and gloom. In the most part the picture is as good as, if not better than, the last couple of years, and in all cases, except Personal Goods (where no trading figures are available yet), the like-for-like sales changes per category are all positive.
Although we are now reporting a couple of administrations, it is not the case that the initial picture was unrealistically rosy as neither were a great surprise. Both Jessops and HMV have struggled with debt and were recognised by FSP as being financially risky. They were also in the unfortunate position where technology has surpassed them. In our first report, we championed the survival of the fittest, but fitness is irrelevant when your product starts to appear irrelevant or superseded.
Jessops may be completely dead and gone, but HMV may yet be rescued.
From our All Retailers chart you will see that online dominates the Total Sales gains, providing 7 out of the top 8 increases. As we said last week, the technologically advanced retailers are winning and keeping customers; particularly where the online function is an integrated part of the whole. It will therefore be a shame if, with its venture into an Amazon style marketplace and the launch of MyHMV, the UK High Street loses HMV altogether.
For the full Christmas Sales Report - Release 2, Click Here.
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