WHO would be a retailer right now? It has been quite a week in the sector, with much more drama than you usually get amid the characteristically frenetic flurry of festive trading news early in the new year.

The latest trading figures have shown that, as well as continuing to have to battle hard to tempt hard-pressed consumers to spend, clothing retailers have been dealt a significant blow by the unusually mild weather during the key festive trading period.

Mild weather was absolutely the last thing they needed, as they continued to navigate their way through these difficult economic times and the huge changes in the sector arising from the surge of online retailing.

Sector darling Next, which has mostly looked infallible even amid the grim UK economic conditions that have prevailed for more than seven years now, uncharacteristically disappointed the City.

Next, to be fair, did achieve a year-on-year rise in sales in the key trading period ahead of Christmas. The retailer reported that its full-price sales in the period from October 26 to December 24 were up by 0.4 per cent on the same period of 2014. However, this muted growth, which was driven by a rise in online sales in its Directory business, fell way short of City expectations.

Marks & Spencer also cited the impact of mild weather on demand for clothing as it announced a five per cent year-on-year fall in general merchandise sales in the 13 weeks to December 26.

It meanwhile revealed yesterday that chief executive Marc Bolland is to retire. Mr Bolland will be succeeded by Marks & Spencer veteran Steve Rowe, who has been with the retailer for more than 25 years.

Marks & Spencer cited issues around availability of stock as a factor in the fall in general merchandise sales, a category which includes the key womenswear department.

Next also cited problems with stock availability, in its Directory business.

Mr Bolland has certainly not had his challenges to seek during his time in charge of Marks & Spencer. As well as having to deal with fierce competition from the likes of John Lewis, Debenhams and Next, the six-year period in which Mr Bolland has been chief executive has featured some of the worst trading conditions in living memory.

While much of the focus yesterday was on weak clothing sales at Marks & Spencer, there was good news on profit margins.

And we should certainly not overlook the continuing success achieved by Marks & Spencer’s sizeable food retailing business during Mr Bolland’s six years in charge. It is also worth observing that Mr Rowe headed this business for a significant part of this period.

The continuing success of Marks & Spencer’s food retailing business has been delivered in a very difficult market-place. And the festive sales performance of the food business was impressive.

In the 13 weeks to December 26, the retailer’s food sales were up by 3.7 per cent on a year earlier. Even on a like-for-like basis, excluding the beneficial impact of net expansion of retail space, food sales were still up, by 0.4 per cent.

Marks & Spencer highlighted record food sales in the Christmas week. During that key trading week, it achieved a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in food sales and outperformed the market strongly.

This is undoubtedly a business that is thriving in very difficult times.

UK households have faced years of falling real incomes. While earnings have started rising again recently in inflation-adjusted terms, Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has been among those to highlight signs that this pay growth has been losing steam already.

And there has been plenty of evidence that households have moved to balance their budgets in these grim economic conditions by cutting back on their food bills.

Such moves are writ large in the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl, and the big four supermarket groups have had to endure the toughest of trading environments.

The surprise news this week that supermarket group Sainsbury made a bid approach in November to Argos owner Home Retail Group, a move which was rejected, was viewed by some as underlining just how tough things are in the food retailing sector.

It is worth noting that Sainsbury has performed relatively well in this difficult climate.

However, it is interesting that it has been considering what would be a very major diversification of its business.

Home Retail Group is also in a tough market, with its Argos business head-to-head with the likes of mighty online player Amazon in many of its product lines.

And, in terms of some of its more expensive products, Argos is up against the likes of John Lewis.

In terms of festive trading, the sales figures released this week by John Lewis show that it will once again have been one of the brightest stars.

The department store group reported that its sales in the six weeks to January 2 were up by 6.9 per cent on a year earlier. And its sales were up by 5.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis. These are strong figures indeed, driven crucially by a 21.4 per cent year-on-year leap in online sales during the period.

John Lewis has the obvious benefit of being able to focus on the long term, given that it is employee-owned rather than being listed on the stock market. The retailer also has the advantage of having employees who are keen for it to do well, given they share financially in its success.

The department store group, which this time went with a Man on the Moon-themed advert, looks almost certain to have been an outlier in terms of its stellar performance over the festive period.

And, when it comes to certainties, one thing that is for sure is that 2016 will be another tough year for retailers, whatever the weather.