Marks and Spencer has reported a modest rise in UK sales over the Christmas period, after strong food sales offset weaker trading elsewhere at the firm.

Like-for-like sales for the final 13 weeks of 2011 were up 0.5% on a year earlier. Food sales were up 3%.

The company said margins would be lower this year due to promotions.

Separately, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said December retail sales in the UK rose by 2.2% after a "dazzling" final week before Christmas.

'Cautious' outlook

M&S said it had performed well in a "challenging trading environment".

Although like-for-like food sales, which strip out the impact of any new store openings, at M&S were up, general merchandise sales fell by 1.8%.

The decline in general merchandise sales was not helped by a 13.3% slump in sales in its home division, which the company blamed on its decision to stop selling technology products.

Total sales at its direct delivery business jumped by 22.4% after it extended its next day delivery deadline and launched an online Christmas food order service.

Outside of the UK, sales rose by 8.1%.

"Our food business performed very strongly as customers enjoyed our new and traditional Christmas products," said M&S boss Marc Bolland.

"In clothing, our focus was on offering our customers real value at a time when they're managing their budgets carefully. Our trading strategy worked well, delivering a record performance in many categories including menswear and sleepwear."

The company said it expected trading conditions to remain challenging and was "cautious" about the year ahead. It added that it expected to hit its profit targets for the year.

Analysts also stressed the potential impact of discounting on profits.

"Overall, this is a subdued set of results," said Neil Saunders at retail research group Conlumino.

"There is no denying that growth has, to a degree, been bought at the expense of margin.

"These results demonstrate that while M&S is far from being in the premiership in growth terms, it can still play a reasonably good game."

Mixed fortunes

Elsewhere on the High Street, department store chain Debenhams said like-for-like sales in the 18 weeks to 7 January had been flat.

The company said it was "pleased with this performance".

"We traded well despite the difficult environment as evidenced by strong sales in December, including record sales in the final week before Christmas," said chief executive Michael Sharp.

Majestic Wine reported like-for-like sales growth of 4% for the nine weeks to 2 January. Company boss Steve Lewis said he was "delighted" with the growing number of customers shopping at chain.

However, troubled video game retailer Game Group reported a slump in Christmas sales.

For the eight weeks to 7 January, like-for-like sales fell by 12.9%. The company also said promotional activity had hit margins, which would now be almost 2% lower for the full year.

The group also said difficult trading conditions had raised the likelihood that it may breach some of its banking covenants when they are next tested on 27 February.

Game Group struggled last year and has seen its business eroded by competition from online-only retailers such as Steam and Amazon.

Margins hit

The BRC said its sales figures for December were boosted by the comparison with weak sales a year earlier, which were hit by snow.

Sales last month were also boosted by heavy discounting as retailers cut profit margins in a last-minute attempt to clear stock ready for the new season.

"A better-than-hoped for December closed a relentlessly tough year for retailers, but these figures hinged on a dazzling last pre-Christmas week and were boosted by some major one-off factors," said Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC.

"We're not witnessing any fundamental change in customers' circumstances."

He added that discounting had been deeper and had started earlier than in 2010.

infonary