Christmas cheer served on tablet for some retailers Tablets were in demand this Christmas season. Doling out presents over the Christmas season, Santa's gifts were mixed for Australian retailers. Some retailers, particularly those focusing on electronics, enjoyed the spoils of renewed consumer confidence, while others, like fashion, seem to have received lumps of coal. While the Australian Retailers Association predicts spending in the post-Christmas period to hit $15.1 billion, up from $14.8 billion last year, the growth figure estimates for the country's retailers paint a more cautious picture. ""We expect sales trends accelerated for most discretionary retailers during the December quarter,"" said Citi analyst Craig Woolford. ""However, the extent of the acceleration is modest."" Citi estimates that JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, David Jones and Super Group profited from a Christmas binge. JB Hi-Fi is expected to report a 3.8 per cent rise in sales in the December quarter, according to Citi, with consensus estimates, compiled by S&P Capital, suggesting a net profit of $92 million in the first half of financial year 2014, up more than $10 million from the previous corresponding period. ""We expect the strongest performing category over Christmas was computer tablets. The drop in price points and expansion of choice made tablets popular gifts again in 2013. JB Hi-Fi is very well placed in the tablet category, much more so than Harvey Norman,"" said Mr Woolford. Still, Citi tips sales at Harvey Norman to have grown 3.1 per cent in the December quarter, while S&P Capital forecasts strong profit growth to $201.3 million, up from $142.2 million. David Jones is expected to have far outperformed rival Myer in the Christmas period, with Citi estimating sales for DJs were up 2.1 per cent, with Myer struggling to keep up at 0.4 per cent. However, earnings for both major department stores are expected to decline in the current financial year. ""Australian retail sales trends were subdued again in 2013. Non-food retailing only grew by 0.9 per cent in calendar 2013, the slowest over the past four years. The long-term average growth is 4.2 per cent,"" said Mr Woolford. Fashion retailers Speciality Fashion Group and Oroton are expected to have been left out in the cold during the first half of the financial. While Citi estimates marginal sales growth of 1.8 per cent in the first half for Oroton, Speciality Fashion Group is looking at a fall of 1.8 per cent. Consensus estimates for Oroton profit predict a slide from $27.5 million last financial year to $9.8 million this year.