Investors face a busy few days of retail updates this week, with three big names due to report in quick succession.
Deutsche Bank, previewing the week ahead, flagged results from Kingfisher, JD Sports and H&M.
First up is Kingfisher, the B&Q and Screwfix owner, which reports first-half figures on Tuesday.
The broker expects group sales up 1.5% to £6.9 billion and pre-tax profit of £412 million, a rise of 12%.
Deutsche recently lifted its rating on the stock to 'hold', seeing little risk of a cut to full-year guidance as industry data improves.
Next comes JD Sports Fashion on Wednesday, with the sportswear retailer having already flagged second-quarter sales of £3.09 billion and like-for-like sales down 3.1%.
For the first half, the broker pencils in adjusted pre-tax profit of £266 million, down 24% on a year earlier, with margins squeezed.
The key questions for JD centre on the US promotional environment, whether bloated industry inventories are clearing, and how quickly it can refresh its brand mix.
H&M rounds off the week on Thursday, when the Swedish fashion giant reports third-quarter trading.
Deutsche forecasts group sales of about SEK 57 billion, broadly flat on last year, with slightly firmer gross margins.
Attention there will land on current trading, pricing power and how the retailer is coping with currency swings and rising product costs.
The updates come against a mixed backdrop for a sector that has lagged the wider market lately.
Relative inflation winners such as Tesco and Sainsbury's have held up better, while clothing and luxury names have slipped.
