There has been a belief that Christmas trading was strong. For now, however, it's purely anecdotal. We have no hard numbers to go on. We'll get those next week.

Tuesday is a huge day.

You can't get a global picture ... you have to look at it on a case-by-case basis.

I have been waiting for Sean to come back every week, it is like putting Christmas back.

Christmas, in retailing terms, is coming later and later each year as consumers play chicken with the high street and delay their spending in the expectation of late price cuts as the big day draws nearer.

In a way it's good not to be Christmas number one because people would see the record as a novelty.