Shop flaw

As any family will testify, the festive period has a habit of magnifying faults. And that’s equally true on the UK high street. With the post-Christmas results season now under way, a clear gulf is emerging between the retail sector’s winners and losers. And that could spell bad news for those who still sit nervously in the middle. Look at retailers’ performance so far. Marks & Spencer reported sales up a creditable 5.6% on a like-for-like basis. John Lewis hit 11% growth over five weeks. But o...