UK RETAIL ROUNDUP: John Lewis, Next PLC Offer Xmas Cheer

U.K. department store chain John Lewis and clothing and houseware retailer Next PLC (NXT.LN) kicked-off the retail Christmas trading season Tuesday with buoyant sales reports, but cautioned that such Yule Tide cheer may evaporate in the New Year.

Employee-owned John Lewis reported a 13% annual increase in comparable sales over the holiday season at its department stores, boosted by strong fashion and homeware sales, but predicted a long and slow recovery for the retail sector in 2010.

The group's fashion sales, including beauty, rose 22% over the five weeks to Jan. 2, while home sales rose over 19%. Sales of electricals and home technology products rose over 11%.

Next raised its full-year profit guidance following better-than-expected sales in the run-up to Christmas, particularly in the final two weeks as the weather turned colder, but cautioned that the outlook for 2010 is hard to gauge.

Next, which competes against Marks & Spencer Group PLC (MKS.LN) and department-store chains, upgraded its annual pretax profit range to between GBP490 million and GBP500 million. It also raised its full-year earnings per share guidance range to between 180 pence and 184 pence, up at least 15% on last year.

Other U.K. retailers that are scheduled to report trading performances in coming days include:

Wed, Jan. 6:   Marks & Spencer Group PLC (MKS.LN) 
Thu, Jan. 7:   J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN) 3Q trading update 
               JD Sports Fashion PLC (JD.LN) trading update 
Fri, Jan. 8:   Ted Baker PLC trading update (TBK.LN) 
Mon, Jan. 11:  Blacks Leisure (BSLA.LN) trading update 
Tue, Jan. 12:  Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN) trading update 
               Dunelm Group Plc (DNLM.LN) trading update 
               Topps Tiles PLC (TPT.LN) trading update 
               British Retail Consortium Christmas Sales 
               Debenhams PLC (DEB.LN) trading update 
Wed, Jan. 13: Game Group PLC (GMG.LN) trading update 
Thu, Jan. 14:  DSG International PLC (DSGI.LN) trading 
               update 
               Home Retail Group PLC (HOME.LN) 
               Halfords Group PLC (HFD.LN) trading update 
               Mothercare PLC (MTC.LN) trading update 
               HMV Group PLC (HMV.LN) trading update 
Tue, Jan. 19:  Burberry PLC (BRBY.LN) trading update 
               Carphone Warehouse PLC (CPW.LN) 
               (TBC) Asos PLC (ASC.LN) trading update 
Wed, Jan. 20:  Kesa Electricals PLC (KESA.LN) trading 
               update 
Thu, Jan. 21:  William Morrison Supermarkets PLC (MRW.LN) 
Wed, Jan. 27:  WH Smith PLC (SMWH.LN) AGM trading update 
Wed, Feb. 3:   Carpetright PLC trading update 
Thu, Feb. 18:  Kingfisher PLC (KGF.LN) 
 

-By Sten Stovall, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]