Best Christmas for M&S

Marks & Spencer today said it had enjoyed the best Christmas in years, driven by a surge in sales of its core clothing ranges.

The company, which has been in the doldrums since the late Nineties, said takings from clothing, footwear and gifts had risen almost 11 per cent from Christmas 2000. Sales of goods for the home were also strong - showing an increase of 10.2 per cent.

The figures are in contrast to a year ago, when the group was forced to admit that sales had actually fallen over the festive season. Clothes and footwear sales sank almost 10 per cent in that period and talk of recovery seemed far-fetched.

Marks & Spencer attributed its success to the appeal of its new Perfect range, which offers classic women's clothing, such as black roll-neck sweaters and tailored shirts. Per Una, the fashion range designed by Next founder George Davies, also proved popular. Marks & Spencer said it was pleased with the figures but warned that the rate of growth is likely to slow this year.

Food sales over Christmas rose by more than six per cent and the group said it had won business from the supermarkets.

M&S also revealed figures for the 15 weeks to 12 January, showing a rise in total sales of 7.3 per cent. Excluding the impact of new space, sales increased by seven per cent.

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