SHARES STRONGLY UP/DOWN this week 26/12/05 (Master RSI)

UK post-Christmas sales start strongly - FootFall

LONDON (AFX) - The first couple of days of the post-Christmas sales look to
have gone exceedingly well for UK retailers despite the snow and cold weather in
the east of England, a closely watched survey suggested.
Figures from retail analyst FootFall show an 8 pct increase for the first
two days of the sales compared with 2004. Holiday Tuesday on its own was 6.5 pct
better than a year ago.
"After the lacklustre Christmas build up, this shows that prudence is
definitely the watchword for this year's shopper," said Natasha Burton,
marketing manager at FootFall.
"After the final months of 2005 which saw a reluctance to spend on credit
and rising household bills, it seems the reduced prices and offers of the sales
are what shoppers have been waiting for," she added.
FootFall's findings back up anecdotal evidence suggesting that the sales
have started well.