Iconic fashion brand Hermès on Monday posted first quarter sales ahead of forecasts, as the label reported strong demand for its silks, accessories and ready-to-wear lines. Revenue came in at EUR 856.8 million for Hermès in the three months to 31 March, up 12.8 per cent at constant currencies and above and beyond analysts’ expectations of 11 per cent for the period.

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The world’s second largest retailer reported first quarter sales of EUR 20.8 billion, just below expectations as a fall in demand in Spain and Italy hit home. Sales for Carrefour’s first quarter failed to meet the average forecast of EUR 20.9 billion from a poll of Reuters analysts, as the supermarket battled against continued weak demand in its core European market.

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Debenhams focuses on second half after 5.4 per cent fall in profits for the first half of its financial year. The department store group, which has 165 locations across the UK and Ireland, on Thursday revealed a fall in first-half profit in line with expectations after the retailer issued a profit warning in March.

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JD Sports Fashion plc on Wednesday posted a 20 per cent fall in full-year profit, as the retailer focused on turning around its Blacks Leisure operations. Profit before tax and exceptional items for the year fell to £60.5 million in the 53 weeks to 2 February, in line with analyst forecasts for the period.

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Britain's biggest retailer on Wednesday announced its first fall in annual profit in 20 years, after taking a USD 1.5 billion writeoff on its loss-making Fresh & Easy business in the US. Shares in Tesco fell 2.8 per cent in early trade as the supermarket giant reported pretax profit of £1.96 billion in the year to 13 February, down 51.5 per cent.

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Halfords on Wednesday announced it is on track to meet its profit guidance for the year after posting a slight rise in fourth quarter underlying sales. The bicycle and car parts retailer said it expected to make a pretax profit between £68 million and £72 million for the year to 29 March.

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The introduction of new cash-counting machines will see Morrisons cut the jobs of 689 back office staff. As the UK’s fourth largest supermarket looks to reduce costs in its operations, the retailer is said to be replacing its cash office managers and supervisors with cash-counting machines that will be installed in stores.

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The Italian fashion power house reported a 36 per cent rise in net profit for the fourth quarter to EUR 217 million, as it focuses its next stage of global expansion on the Middle East and the Americas. Prada SpA managed to beat the average forecast for its final quarter to 31 March, which was set at EUR 202 million in a poll by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

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European electrical retailer Darty is set to close its loss-making operations in Spain as part of an on-going turnaround plan. As part of a strategy designed to help the group focus on the profitable businesses in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, Darty on Thursday said it will close its 43 stores in Spain by June at a cost of £30 million.

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Superdry's new Trinity Leeds store. Superdry owner SuperGroup got a much needed boost in confidence yesterday as a buy note saw stocks surge. SuperGroup topped the mid-cap index on Wednesday, following a recommendation from Bethany Hocking at Investec that suggested the retailer’s turbulent past is “overshadowing the considerable changes that have taken place”.

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