After a disappointing start to its float, things are starting to pick up. Since the release of results in December, the shares have steadily increased from 147p to 161p.

The group has a strong and fast growing market share and should perform well.

Tesco also has the clout to buy very cheap and sell at minimal margin .... a specialist retailer does not have that luxury

One of the funniest stories I heard about Tesco was when they found their main distribution centre surrounded by a fleet of articulated lorries owned by one of their contracted haulage firms who they had refused to pay, nearly forcing the poor guy out of business. Fortunately it gave them some bad publicity and the firm was paid their dues. Not nice people to do business with which perhaps explains their success.

Trading statement early next week maybe..

TSCO - did the haulage co. ever get another Tesco contract?

There is always the possibility that a co will use its economic strength for good, but only rarely for Bad - however, being on the receiving end of Bad is no good at all and this is something large companies like TSCO should guard against.

The contractor was partly to blame, IMHO - for they allowed their business to be dictated by one Contract, rather than off-set it by forming a consortium (etc.)....it's tempting to take-on more and more business; but one customer should never represent more than 20% of your committment/or turnover.

Much the same with shares - never let one investment be greater than 10% shall we say?
If it comes good, then top-slice to keep things in balance . . . . oh. I don't, of course!

JSP - in Shares today. . . . .
. . . . repeating what we already know that you can buy branded goods on the Internet cheaper.
However, I disagree about TSCO being able to buy cheaper - I suspect TSCO shelf-cost is lower( than JSP's), and TSCO stocks fewer models - - JSP is a volume-buyer and I suspect their unit-cost is somewhat similar, certainly no worse than ( say), internet competition . . . indeed JSP could introduce an On-line store where price is King; but you'd not get any other benefits. . . . . yet I suspect few of us want these extra benefits as we're much more able to buy what we want, read Reviews etc.... that's why the Internet is bound to be a success.
- That doesn't mean JSP cannot be profitable - after all the on-line businesses don't appear to be going out of business, just yet.

how dumb can you get? ..... not much dumber is my guess if you think JSP is viable and will perform like Lazarus

Have to agree with cynic's view. Retailing is in the doldrums and is likely to get worse. You cannot eat cameras and Jessops will find it more difficult with the background of falling discretionary expenditure. This is not one I would pick from a contrarian or recovery viewpoint.

i wouldn't pick my nose with it!

Odds on that this one will go bust.

small caps movers update

Photographic retailer Jessops added 1.05 to 8.15. Last year the company issued three profit warnings, but this morning it said it has returned to underlying sales growth over the Christmas period.

Earlier on this morning update of CHRISTMAS TRADING STATEMENT ........

Jessops returns to underlying sales growth

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Jessops PLC, the troubled photographic retailer
that issued three profit warnings last year, said it returned to underlying
sales growth over the Christmas period.
For the seven weeks to Jan 6 2008 sales on a like-for-like basis, which
strips out the impact of new and closed space, increased 0.3 pct.
Total sales were 20.6 pct lower, primarily due to the previously announced
closure of 81 stores.
For the 14 weeks to Jan 6 like-for-like sales fell 4.7 pct, while total
sales were down 24.4 pct.
Product margin rate for the 14 weeks was ahead of last year by 0.2
percentage points.
Jessops, which now trades from 233 UK stores, claimed it reinforced its
position as the nation's leading digital camera specialist with sales of DSLR
(digital single-lens reflex) particularly strong, reflecting both new product
launches and improved product availability.
The retailer said its stock clearance programme was completed in October.
Since then the group has managed stock levels and product sell throughs tightly.
Stocks as of Jan 6 were 34.0 mln stg, down from 62 mln stg at the same point
last year.
"We were prepared for a tough Christmas trading environment and managed the
business accordingly," said executive chairman David Adams, who joined the
business last May.
"Much work remains to be done to return the business to sustainable
profitability and this performance over the key Christmas period is an
encouraging step."