Retailers' Christmas woes to become clearer this week

Early data shows a drop in footfall of 3% on last year - the third consecutive annual fall

Investors will this week gain a clearer picture of retailers' performances over the crucial Christmas period, as vultures circle the sector after HMV became the first victim of weak sales.

Initial data from Springboard, a retail consultancy, showed that footfall in the week to Saturday fell by around 3% compared with last year, in line with declines seen throughout the Christmas trading period. In-store shopper numbers on Boxing Day fell by 3.1% year on year - the third consecutive annual decline in footfall.