(Adds graphic and Associated British Foods, Boohoo, JD Sports)
Jan 18 (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 ASOS Plc last month capped a torrid yearfor the sector marred by shop closures 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. 17
Associated British Foods Plc
The Primark owner said total sales at the fashion chain rose4 percent at constant currency, though like-for-like sales saw"a modest decline" in the 16 weeks to Jan. 5.
Reported on Jan. 15
Boohoo Group Plc
The British online fashion retailer bucked the trend of atough Christmas for clothing retailers, reporting robust salesand raising its full-year revenue forecast.
Reported on Jan. 14
JD Sports Fashion Plc
Britain's biggest sportswear retailer forecast annual profitat the higher end of expectations on Monday as the companyrefused to cut prices in a tough retail environment.
Reported on Jan. 11
AO World Plc
The UK online electrical retailer 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
Britain's biggest retailer beat forecasts with a 2.2 percentrise in like-for-like sales in Britain over Christmas, saying itoutperformed the market in food, clothing and generalmerchandise.
Reported on Jan. 10
John Lewis Partnership
Britain's biggest department store operator, said its salesrose 1.4 percent to 2.2 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) in theseven weeks to Jan. 5, but said it still expected full-yearprofits to fall substantially.
Reported on Jan. 10
Marks & Spencer Group Plc
The British retailer suffered another quarter of fallingunderlying sales in both clothing and food.
Reported on Jan. 10
Debenhams Plc
The British department store group is in talks with lendersand looking to bring in new sources of funding as it battles tosurvive following another plunge in sales.
Reported on Jan. 9
J Sainsbury Plc
Britain's No. 2 supermarket chain reported aworse-than-expected fall in Christmas sales, confirming thatBritain's second-largest supermarket group has fallen behindcompetitors as it battles to acquire smaller rival Asda.
Reported on Jan. 9
Mothercare Plc's
The British baby products retailer's third-quarter groupsales slipped 18 percent on lower online sales of baby productsand fewer discounts, which led to a double digit dip in UKlike-for-like revenue.
Reported on Jan. 9
Ted Baker Plc
The fashion retailer reported higher sales in the holidayperiod, boosted by a surge in online demand and said it was"business as usual" at the brand as an investigation intoreports related to the conduct of its founder continue.
Reported on Jan. 8
WM Morrison Supermarket Plc
Britain's fourth largest supermarket group missed Christmassales forecasts as weak consumer demand hit its retail andwholesale businesses.
Reported on Jan. 7
Aldi UKThe British arm of the German discount supermarket, said itssales increased around 10 percent to almost 1 billion pounds($1.28 billion) in December, driven by increased demand for itspremium ranges.
Reported on Jan. 3
Next Plc
A late surge in online demand helped the British clothingretailer to increase sales in the Christmas period, confoundingfears of tough festive trading and lifting shares across thebattered sector.
Reported on Jan. 2
John Lewis
Britain's biggest department store operator said sales inits department stores rose 4.5 percent in the week ending Dec.29, boosted by strong demand on Christmas Eve and "a confidentstart to post-Christmas clearance both online and in shops".
Reported on Dec. 29
HMV
The music retailer 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)
