(Adds AO World, Moss Bros)
Jan 10 (Reuters) - British retailers are giving updates onChristmas trading, by far their busiest and most importantperiod of the year, stretching from "Black Friday" on Nov. 23 toearly January clearance sales.
Investors had been bracing for bad news after a major profitwarning from one-time online darling ASOS Plc lastmonth capped a torrid year for the sector marred by shopclosures and bankruptcies.
On the high street the run-up to Christmas was marked bydiscounting while footfalls in shops after Dec. 25 fell comparedto previous years.
Following are the highlights:
Reported on Jan. 11
Moss Bros Group Plc
British suit retailer Moss Bros Group Plc warned on Fridayof a challenging year ahead, even as its online sales rosenearly 30 percent for the 23-week period to Jan. 5.
Reported on Jan. 11
AO World Plc
UK online electricals retailer AO World said on Friday salesgrowth slowed in its home market in the Christmas quarter,though it maintained its forecast for the full year.
Reported on Jan. 10
Tesco Plc
Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, beat forecasts with a 2.2percent rise in like-for-like sales in Britain over Christmas,saying it outperformed the market in food, clothing and generalmerchandise.
Reported on Jan. 10
Halfords Group Plc
British bicycles-to-car parts retailer Halfords Group Plcwarned on Thursday that consumer confidence could remain weakinto next year, hitting its operating profit.
Reported on Jan. 10
B&M European Value Retail SA
B&M European Value Retail SA reported a 1.2 percent rise inB&M UK comparable sales as the discounter said it remains ontrack for higher sales and earnings this financial year and thenext.
Reported on Jan. 10
John Lewis Partnership
John Lewis Partnership, Britain's biggest department storeoperator, said its sales rose 1.4 percent to 2.2 billion pounds($2.8 billion) in the seven weeks to Jan. 5, but said it stillexpected full-year profits to fall substantially.
Reported on Jan. 10
Marks & Spencer Group Plc
Britain's Marks & Spencer suffered another quarter offalling underlying sales in both clothing and food.
Reported on Jan. 10
Debenhams Plc
British department store group Debenhams is in talks withlenders and looking to bring in new sources of funding as itbattles for survival following another plunge in sales.
Reported on Jan. 9
J Sainsbury Plc
Sainsbury's reported a worse-than-expected fall in Christmassales, confirming that Britain's second-largest supermarketgroup has fallen behind competitors as it battles to acquiresmaller rival Asda.
Reported on Jan. 9
Mothercare Plc's
Mothercare Plc's third-quarter group sales slipped 18percent on lower online sales of baby products and fewerdiscounts, which led to a double digit dip in UK like-for-likerevenue.
Reported on Jan. 9
Ted Baker Plc
Fashion retailer Ted Baker reported higher sales in theholiday period, boosted by a surge in online demand and said itwas "business as usual" at the brand as an investigation intoreports related to the conduct of its founder continue.
Reported on Jan. 9
Majestic Wine Plc
British wine retailer Majestic Wine said sales during theChristmas season grew 6.8 percent, boosted by strength in itsNaked Wines business.
Reported on Jan. 9
Topps Tiles Plc
Britain's biggest tile retailer Topps Tiles said comparablerevenues for the first 13 weeks of the financial year fell 1.4percent.
Reported on Jan. 8
WM Morrison Supermarket Plc
Morrison, Britain's fourth largest supermarket group, missedChristmas sales forecasts as weak consumer demand hit its retailand wholesale businesses.
Reported on Jan. 8
Footasylum Plc
British fashion retailer Footasylum Plc warned that itsfull-year core earnings would come in at the lower end ofanalysts' estimates, hit by lower margins and likely chargesfrom a future cost savings initiative.
Reported on Jan. 8
Joules Group Plc
British lifestyle brand, Joules Group reported a 11.7percent rise in retail sales for the seven-week period to Jan.6, boosted by higher online sales.
Reported on Jan. 7
Aldi UK
Aldi UK, the British arm of the German discount supermarket,said its sales increased around 10 percent to almost 1 billionpounds ($1.28 billion) in December, driven by increased demandfor its premium ranges.
Reported on Jan. 7
Dunelm Group Plc
Homeware retailer Dunelm Group said it expects higher pretaxprofit for the first half of the year and forecast full-yearpretax profit above the top range of analysts' estimates if theindustry continues to grow at its current pace.
Reported on Jan. 3
Next Plc
A late surge in online demand helped British clothingretailer Next to increase sales in the Christmas period,confounding fears of tough festive trading and lifting sharesacross the battered sector.
Reported on Jan. 2
John Lewis
John Lewis said sales in its department stores rose 4.5percent in the week ending Dec. 29, boosted by strong demand onChristmas Eve and "a confident start to post-Christmas clearanceboth online and in shops".
Reported on Dec. 29
HMV
Music retailer HMV called in the administrators for thesecond time in five years after it said demand for CDs and DVDswas disappearing. One of the best known names on the highstreet, it plans to keep the business running while it tries tofind a buyer.(Reporting by Kate Holton, Noor Zainab Hussain and SamanthaMachado; Editing by Keith Weir, Bernard Orr and ShounakDasgupta)
