Tills （犯罪の）一味 out a festive tune in London

By Jane Padgham
Updated: 11:22 BST, 16 January 2006

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LONDON'S retailers enjoyed their best Christmas for at least three years and 成し遂げるd better than their peers in the 残り／休憩（する） of the country, it 現れるd today.

回復するing 堅固に from a 不振の start to the festive season, like-for-like sales were up 5.7% on a year ago, によれば the London 小売 国際借款団／連合.

That is the biggest 増加する since March 2004 and the best December 業績／成果 since the 調査する began in 2002. It also はるかに引き離すs the 2.6% 増加する across retailers 国家的に - the second 連続した month London has outperformed the 残り／休憩（する） of the UK.

にもかかわらず the last-minute Christmas 急ぐ, the 報告（する）／憶測 最高潮の場面d the extent of the shopping 減産／沈滞 last year, partly 予定 to the July 爆破s. The 普通の／平均（する） 月毎の change in sales in 2005 was a 1% 落ちる, compared with a 2.1% 増加する in 2004.

The 報告（する）／憶測 said 昇進／宣伝s and 通関手続き／一掃 sales 誘惑するd millions to London's shopping centres in December. 冷淡な 天候 上げるd sales of winter 着せる／賦与するing, while MP3 players and Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console were popular Christmas 現在のs.

Homewares continued to struggle, however, apart from 割引 driven sales.

LRC director Kevin Hawkins 警告を与えるd December's 増加する had been flattered by a weak 業績／成果 last Christmas, when sales fell by 2.6%.

But he 追加するd: 'It appears that 貿易（する）ing in London is showing some 調印するs of 改良, helped by 率先s like Oxford Street's traffic-解放する／自由な festival day and a slight 解除する in 消費者 信用／信任 seen across the 残り／休憩（する） of the UK.'

Helen Dickinson, 長，率いる of 小売 at accountants KPMG, said: 'Many London retailers will be breathing a loud sigh of 救済 and have now moved into a sales period with much cleaner 在庫／株 positions than at this time last year.'

Today's 報告（する）／憶測 comes days after Liberty said its sales were up a staggering 20% in the week before Christmas, while John 吊りくさび has 報告（する）／憶測d that sales at its 旗艦 Oxford Street 蓄える／店 were 12% higher in December than a year ago.

In その上の good news for London's economy, a 報告（する）／憶測 from the 王室の Bank of Scotland showed the 資本／首都 ended the year on a 肯定的な 地盤, with growth running at its fastest for eight months.

The 報告（する）／憶測's 購入（する）ing 経営者／支配人s' 索引 登録（する）d 58.3, up from 56.7 in November and 井戸／弁護士席 above the 50 'no change' level. London was the second-fastest growing UK 地域, behind the South-East.

'Almost 35% of the 調査する パネル盤 報告（する）／憶測d an 増加する in new orders, which many せいにするd to high 投資 spending の中で （弁護士の）依頼人s and successful sales and 宣伝の 率先s,' the 報告（する）／憶測 said.

While Britain's 製造業の 中心地域s are struggling, London is 存在 上げるd by a 殺到する in activity in 財政上の services.

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