THE newly-created company behind Carphone Warehouse and Currys PC World said it was trading ahead of expectations after a “roller coaster” Christmas sparked by demand for Black Friday promotions.

Dixons Carphone, worth £5 billion after a merger in the summer, said like-for-like sales were up eight per cent in the UK and Ireland in the nine weeks to January 3, meaning annual profits will be stronger than City forecasts.

Chief executive Sebastian James said the “huge scale and success” of Black Friday promotions in November caused a lull in trading over the following three weeks before a record Boxing Day.

“The strange shape of this year’s Christmas trading was something of a roller coaster but I am very pleased with the end result,” he added. Laptop sales grewbut a lack of new products meant tablet sales fell sharply in the period. The company also reported growth in plus ultra-high-definition” TVs and white goods.