Everyone has felt the effects of a long cold winter. But this year, it was particularly bitter for some of Britain’s best-known retailers. Toys R Us will soon be no more with the loss of 3,000 jobs in the UK alone. The administrators are also in action at Maplin, where closing down sales are already underway.

Carpetright is in the process of closing stores and raising emergency finance. Meanwhile, Mothercare is in talks with its bankers over a planned restructuring, Next has announced its toughest trading period for 25 years, and Moss Bros and B&Q are the latest companies to issue sharp profits warnings, joining John Lewis where profits fell by 77% last year.