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The value of Christmas
Presswatch Rankings: Retail - January 2008 |
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Our last issue asked what Christmas had in store for the media reputations of retailers. Predictions of difficult trading and lower sales proved correct, as credit-squeezed shoppers opted for the value end of the market. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom…according to the Press.
Overall: in January, 48 of the 77 retailers analysed by TNS Media Intelligence recorded a positive trend for the month. Yet the sector went down by an average score of 8.1 per entrant.
Big risers: as expected over the festive period, most of the food and drug retailers scored well. Morrison’s, in particular, had a positive press. Up 515 from the previous month, largely on performance, and following a good advertising campaign. After months of gloom, some brightness for HMV, again on performance, after struggling against online competitors, as consumers bought into Games for Xmas. Moss Bros’ January rise did not quite pull them out of their December collapse following a profits warning.
Big fallers: M&S has always been a big target for headline writers and in January 2008 the company endured widespread reporting of worse than expected trading figures. By the month-end, M&S had recorded a negative score of -875 points, placing it amongst the worst performers in January. But the results of a single month have to be judged in context. Calculating the company's performance using the key six-months rolling average, M&S remains a Top 5 proposition in the main table. The coming months will determine the real significance of January's performance in the M&S recovery story. Other notable casualties included DSG. The company's failure to sell LCD flat-screen TVs saw DSG drop out of the FTSE 100 and take a Press battering on strategy. And Next continued to slide on performance
Star performer: John Lewis is now way ahead at number one on the chart, following much positive press comment on performance, in tandem with stable partner, Waitrose, in second place. |
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| To receive a free copy of the January 2008 Presswatch Rankings Retail Sector Report, please contact the Editor, Dominic Mills. |
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