“The latest figures indicate a welcomed improvement on the high street and bring a level of respite to shops which have experienced unsteady sales figures over the past 12 months. Retailing is picking up in the short-term, as many Britains are taking advantage of the myriad discounts and sales promotions retailers are offering to entice spending.

“With the lead-up to Christmas around the corner, shops will be welcoming the improvement and will be hoping for this momentum to be sustained into the longer-term. Prudent business owners and managers will be looking to maintain well managed stock levels in the build-up to Christmas, without tying-up too much cash in goods and assuring a manageable cash-flow in and out of the business.

“However, not all businesses are reaping the benefits of this slight upswing and the long-term sustainability of these improvements remains uncertain. Business owners and managers should temper caution with innovation as we enter the 2010 planning stages, as the erratic shifts in sales volumes we have witnessed over the past 12 months may not have fully stabilised.”