Other companies, including chocolate firm Thorntons, music store HMV and children's goods retailer Mothercare, announced shop closures.

BBC: UK retail sales stabilise in early summer sales

Thorntons reported a healthy rebound in overall sales, but the long-term decline at its own stores continued.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports

Shares in fashion chain French Connection have fallen 7.6% and chocolatier Thorntons 7% after both reported Christmas sales figures.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports

Meanwhile, performance at stores carrying the Thorntons name continued to be poor, with sales at its own-name stores down 9%.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports

Thorntons meanwhile reported a 5.4% overall increase in sales in the 14 weeks to 12 January versus a year earlier.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports

"Unlike Totnes, Bakewell has a number of chain stores in the town such as Boots, Thorntons, and The Outdoor Company", it said.

BBC: King Street

"Overall, these results confirm Thorntons' continued demise as a leading UK retailer with a national store footprint, " said George Scott, retail analyst at Conlumino.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports

The drop in Thorntons' share price following the release of its trading results follows a more than quadrupling of its share price since the beginning of last year on rising hopes of a turnaround.

BBC: French Connection and Thorntons down on trading reports