Associated British Foods downgraded the annual sales guidance for its Primark budget clothing business on Thursday after disappointing results in the Christmas quarter in its main UK and Ireland market.

The conglomerate lowered its sales-growth expectations for Primark —its clothing retailer that accounts for the lion’s share of earnings—amid a challenging retail environment.

The fashion chain’s like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland — which account for almost half of the total — fell more sharply, dropping 6 per cent over the 16 weeks. Primark’s share of the total UK fashion market slipped to 6.8 per cent.

Associated British Foods expects analysts' consensus profit expectations for its 2024/25 year to fall about 2% after the group cut the sales outlook for its Primark clothing business, its finance chief said on Thursday.