Such people would probably have said as much about general merchandising before the days of the mail order houses.

Eric Sowder, senior vice president and general merchandising manager, outdoor living, had announced in July plans to retire from Lowe's on Sept. 9.

They have decided they want to do fresh at the same time as the general merchandising offer so that has put them back six months.

UK food sales were 4% higher than a year ago, but general merchandising - which includes sales of clothing - was down by 3.8%.