Marks and Spencer sales nudge ahead

Marks & Spencer Group

Last Updated at 11 Apr 2013, 07:59 GMT *Chart shows local time

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395.20 p	+11.40	+2.97

Marks and Spencer sales rose slightly in the first three months of 2013, as good trading from its food business offset a fall in clothing sales.

Like-for-like UK sales were 0.6% higher for the period compared with last year.

UK food sales were 4% higher than a year ago, but general merchandising - which includes sales of clothing - was down by 3.8%.

Clothing sales have been the weak spot for Marks and Spencer in recent years, despite a raft of initiatives.
The drop in general merchandise sales was not as bad as some had forecasted, with some analysts having predicted falls of up to 6%.

M&S chief executive Mark Bolland said: they are working hard on improving our performance in general merchandise, and despite difficult trading conditions, we made progress in our operational execution."

Clothing retailers have struggled to maintain sales recently, as the cold weather has led to shoppers holding back from buying summer clothes.