SUPERMARKET Sainsbury’s will take the corporate spotlight this week when it reports on recent trading, with an update also due from Argos and the Homebase parent, Home Retail Group, in a busy week for the retail sector.

Sainsbury’s is expected to reveal further sales growth at the expense of beleaguered rival Tesco when it reports on first-quarter trading on Wednesday.

Analysts believe a 34th successive quarter of like-for-like sales increases is on the cards after Sainsbury’s recently announced its fifth year of profit growth in a row. The latest retail figures from Kantar Worldpanel show it was the only one of the four large supermarkets to gain market share, with the others being squeezed by the likes of Waitrose and Aldi.

Catalogue retailer Argos comes into focus on Thursday when first-quarter trading will reveal if it has maintained the recent turnaround that has seen it return to yearon- year profit growth.

An online push boosted the retailer’s annual figures, reported last month, but analysts have raised questions over whether its electricals division, boosted by a splurge on tablet computers, can maintain its momentum. Parent company Home Retail Group posted its fifth consecutive slump in annual earnings last month as the improved Argos performance was dragged down by weather- hit sales at DIY chain Homebase.

The trading update on Wednesday from online fashion firm ASOS is set to show further impressive sales growth as demand shows no sign of slowing.

The company recently reported an 11 per cent leap in pre-tax profits to £25.6 million in the six months to the end of February after total retail sales rose 34 per cent from £262 to £352m. In the UK, they were up 26 per cent to £137m.

Mulberry’s attempts to turn around recent disappointing trade will take centre stage on Thursday when the luxury handbag maker is expected to publish slumping annual profits.

Two profits warnings have hurt the Somerset-based firm in recent months as tougher markets in Asia, a post-Christmas fall in tourist spending and attempts to improve the quality of its distribution network hammer earnings.

The following events will take place this week:

Today – Finals: Latchways.

Tomorrow – Finals: Eckoh, Park.

Wednesday – Trading updates: ASOS, Sainsbury’s, WPP (AGM). Latest unemployment figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

Thursday – Finals: Mulberry, Wincanton.

Trading updates: Home Retail, PZ Cussons. AGMs: Kingfisher, Morrisons. Council of Mortgage Lenders releases its lending breakdown figures for April.