High street chains to issue updates
The retail sector will come under the spotlight this week when Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and Burberry will update on how they are coping in tough economic conditions.
High street bellwether Marks & Spencer will suffer its first fall in annual profits for three years on Tuesday as the squeeze in its customers' living standards hits home. Profits had smashed through the £1 billion barrier for the first time in a decade in 2008 but the financial crisis hurt shoppers and heralded an era of fierce discounting on the high street.
