up January sales.

Knick Knack, Marks and Spencer and the English Sports Shop reported New Year sales were well up on last year.

But Trimingham Bros., H.A.&E. Smith and A.S. Cooper & Son said January sales were only on par or marginally up on 1997.

And Gibbons Company reported a "miserable'' month for trade, claiming disappointing sales figures at the end of last year had carried over into 1998.

General manager Susan Bawn said: "It's been miserable for us and definitely not up on last year at all.

"We have to look at sales, department by department. We had three very good quarters to start last year but the fourth was disappointing and that trend has continued into January.

"I'm not quoting any numbers, but a lot of the larger stores started panicking and giving things away and it's confused the retail trade very much.'' Peter Cooper, managing director of A.S. Cooper, said: "Retailers are never happy in January. It's a terrible month for the trade.

"We are marginally up on last year but that's not a good sign considering all the discount sales we have had.

"In fact, this year's increase is so marginal that it's not meaningful.'' Smith's President Roger Davidson said the store's sales figures for January were slightly up year on year.

But he added: "We've had good weather in January. Rain is never good for local business and that's why a few more shoppers may have come out.

"This year has got off to a better start but it's nothing significant.'' Trimingham's also reported a steady start to the year, claiming their sales figures were "on target''.

President Eldon Trimingham, who said the stores' sales had already finished, said staff had carried out stock checks for the last few days.

He added: "We will be getting a lot of new merchandise in in the next couple of weeks and then we will be absolutely up to full speed again.

"Our January sales were just about on target and we were quite pleased.'' David Hamshere, managing director of the Tess Group, which has responsibility for the English Sports Shop and Marks and Spencer, said the stores were around two percent up on last year already.

He said: "It's a case of so far, so good.

"When you are in sale mode, you normally shift a great deal of volume but we are doing better than last year.

"That's probably because we've had a wider selection of merchandise this year.'' And Bobby Rego, general manager of Knick Knack, said: "We've still got a few days to go to the end of the sales but to date we are looking at being three to five percent up on last year.

"We've had no more than the normal number of Christmas returns, with people exchanging gifts, and everything's gone quite nicely to start the New Year.''