Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word retailers. 5 news.

The brutal festive trading period was not a complete disaster for retailers, but a leading analyst now warns 2008 will be even more challenging for the High Street

In today’s "Globalised Economy" the more obvious developments of the current industrial generation concern the use of information technology in communication, and mechanisation in production.

They are a Christmas staple, but like those surplus socks and regrettable jumpers, many of the ?1bn of gift tokens received on December 25 will never be used. The Voucher Association, the industry's trade body, admits that a quarter of them are unlikely to be redeemed.

Sales in the US by online retailers rise 19% between 1 November and 27 December, comScore says.

Internet sales by U.S. retailers rose at the slowest pace on record as $3-a-gallon gasoline and rising mortgage defaults weighed on holiday...