The chocolatier Thorntons has passed on its interim dividend after posting a loss over its most vital trading period of the year.

Chocolatier Thorntons today said it had suffered at the hands of tough competition in the run-up to Christmas as cost-conscious consumers hunted for the best deals.

Outlook Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat,

Thorntons raised fears of a Christmas flop on the high street today as the chocolatier warned it was trading below hopes and was unlikely to make a profit next year.

Furniture chain Lombok followed the UK arm of Habitat into administration today in a move resulting in the closure of nine stores.

When small shops are pushed to the edge, it undermines a community that has the power to fight back

Retail sales returned to growth last month after stores started their summer sales early to attract cautious consumers, official figures revealed today.

Sales at the chocolatier Thorntons melted by nearly 11 per cent over the past eight weeks, laying bare the scale of the turnaround facing its new chief executive and the tough trading conditions on the high street.

Marks & Spencer today revealed an increase in sales as consumers trade up to more premium food and clothes despite the squeeze on the high street.

The tough conditions faced by high-street retailers were thrown into sharp relief during the first six months of the year as the number of profit warnings soared, according to new figures published today.

The turmoil on the high street was brought into sharp relief yesterday after the administrators of the Liverpool-based TJ Hughes announced a fire sale to run down stock levels at the discount department store chain.

The Business Interview: Companies and governments lose millions to errors and fraud, but Sean Farrell meets a man who helps them get their money back