This week in retail: Primark, N Brown, Pets at Home and ONS

Fashion retailers have not had an easy time of it these past few seasons.

BRC numbers showed last week that in March clothing and footwear both recorded their largest decline in sales since September 2014.

While the timing of Easter had a part to play in the sharp fall, there are other factors at play including, dare I say it, the cold and wet weather, and flatlining consumer confidence.

This was corroborated last week when value fashion retailer Bonmarché warned conditions remained challenging and it forecast earnings would be at the lower end of expectations. That followed Next’s cautious stance on the market a few weeks before when Lord Wolfson warned conditions this year could get as tough as those last seen in 2008.

And no retailer wants to relive those turbulent times.

If there’s one apparel retailer that might escape such difficult conditions it is Primark, whose parent Associated British Foods updates the market on Tuesday.

It has been a darling of the stock market almost as much as it has the high street these past few years, so great attention will be paid to its trading performance in its first half for any signs of a slowdown. After all, if Primark is hurting, you can bet your bottom dollar the rest of the market is in greater pain.

We’ll also hear from plus-size apparel retailer N Brown this week, which unveils its full-year figures on Wednesday. That should give us further indication of the state of the fashion market. N Brown has been on a difficult journey the past 12 months – the retailer’s profits have taken a knock as it transforms from a traditional catalogue retailer to a modern multichannel, digital-first business. Despite short-term hits to the bottom line, N Brown is seen as a strong business, operating in a fruitful niche with a sustainable long-term plan. But will it have escaped the volatility of the market?

The pets market is one sector that remains relatively sheltered from macro-economic factors and, indeed, the weather. If families are reining in the spending, it’s more likely Dad who has to forgo his weekly treat rather than Rover.

Market leader Pets at Home is revealing a fourth-quarter trading update on Thursday, and it will be the first outing for new boss Ian Kellett. As such it will be too early for any signs of a new strategic direction from Kellett, but observers will be wondering how the new chief intends to make his mark on the already robustly performing business.

And to finish off a busy week, ONS is unveiling its retail sales figures for March, when we’ll find out if Easter provided a welcome boost to demand.

In case you missed it last week, Tesco pleased the City with its prelims while there were also updates from Poundland, Asos, Debenhams, Mothercare, JD Sports, and WHSmith.