BRIEFING: Home Retail Group, Debenhams and Reckitt Benckiser

SOME of the biggest names in retailing and consumer goods are set to report this week, highlighting the confidence and spending power of British shoppers.

Argos will ditch the catalogues in favour of tablets at storesArgos will ditch the catalogues in favour of tablets at stores[GETTY]

HOME Retail Group's digital turnaround strategy for Argos should show further signs of paying off when it reveals higher half-year profits on Wednesday.

The group, which also owns DIY chain Homebase, is expected to post pre-tax profits up 26 per cent to £34.6million as it cuts out catalogues in favour of iPad tablets at Argos's 747 shops.

Argos has embarked on a £300million five-year plan to revamp the business by 2018, as it gets to grips with competition from supermarkets, Amazon, Dixons and department stores.

The plan was inherited by new chief executive John Walden, after long-serving head Terry Duddy stepped down in March. Walden ran Argos prior to taking charge at Home Retail.

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CURRENCY headwinds are tipped to have blown Nurofen and Strepsils maker Reckitt Benckiser off course in the third quarter. Broker Brewin Dolphin believes Reckitt will say on Tuesday that foreign exchange volatility wiped out reported growth.

It also said Reckitt, run by chief executive Rakesh Kapoor, should unveil a 3 per cent rise in sales growth in the third quarter in line with the first half.

It added: "Pharma sales are likely to have declined signifi-cantly. We hope to hear more on Reckitt's IPO plans for its It added: "Pharma sales are likely to have declined signifi-cantly. We hope to hear more on Reckitt's IPO plans for its pharma division."

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THE City is looking for frothier profits when Costa Coffee and Premier Inn parent Whitbread City is looking for frothier profits when Costa Coffee and Premier Inn Whitbread reports its results for the first half tomorrow.

Analysts reckon the group, which also owns Beefeater and Brewers Fayre pub restaurants, should unveil profits of £249million against £216.1million a year ago.

Deutsche Bank said: "Whitbread's shares are about 12 per cent off their year's high, which would normally imply a buying opportunity. However, the current uncertainty surrounding the Ebola epidemic means external forces are driving share price performance."

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DEBENHAMS will be in the spotlight this week, when it is expected to report a fall in annual profits on Thursday.

It is trying to boost its fortunes after a disastrous Christmas led to a severe fall in half-year profits.

Broker Investec Securities is forecasting a 21 per cent fall in full year profits to £110.2million. At the time of the poor half-year results, chief executive Michael Sharp said he wanted to make the firm less reliant on discounting.

It is also working to improve delivery in time for Christmas, with next-day click and collect and a 10pm cut-off for next-day arrival.

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