U.K. food and online retailers are likely to emerge as winners from the difficult holiday reporting season, with the losers being clothing, jewelry, consumer electronics and home-related retailers such as Marks & Spencer Group PLC (MKS.LN), DSG International PLC (DSGI.LN) and Next PLC (NXT.LN). U.K. supermarket chain Asda Group Ltd. Wednesday reported strong performances in fresh food and its George clothing brand over the critical holiday season.

President and Chief Executive Andy Bond said the key holiday season was the retailer’s “best ever”, despite the sector having its worst Christmas in three years. Asda, the country’s second-biggest supermarket chain by sales, said it served a million more customers in the week before Christmas than a year earlier. Asda didn’t report specific holiday sales figures.

A day later, J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN), the first of the three-listed U.K. supermarket chains to report, booked strong fiscal third-quarter sales following a good Christmas period, which was a welcome relief to besieged investors. Stripping out fuel, comparable sales from Sainsbury stores open at least a year, rose 3.7% in the 12 weeks ended Dec. 29 from a year earlier, slightly above analyst consensus of 3.6%, supported by promotional activity in the weeks leading up to Christmas. That compares with a 3.1% rise in the second-quarter of fiscal 2008 from a year ago.

He set up the company in 2005 with Phil Bish and Turkish civil engineer Emsal Yilmaz. Over two years on, and Turkish Homes 4 less has completed three building projects in the eastern Mediterranean areas of Alanya and Belek, and has established offices in Liverpool, Northern Ireland and Turkey. Here is his working day: I wake up in my house in Garston, with a packed suitcase at the end of my bed.

I have just come back from a four-day viewing trip with a group of prospective buyers, and crashed out as soon as I got back from Manchester Airport late last night. No time to relax, though, as I’ve got a busy day ahead of me. I quickly jump in the shower and grab a bit of breakfast before heading to the office, luckily only a short drive away to Aigburth Road. I arrive at the office to be greeted by Mick, who has opened up the shop and made us a cup of tea. I update him on how the trip went and show him the latest pictures of our Panorama Apartment development.

He is planning to re-locate to Turkey himself once his house sale goes through. I have just come off the phone with a customer who bought a holiday home from us a year ago. He would like us to start renting out his property, and wants to know how it all works. I explain to him that the rental market in Turkey is thriving at the moment, thanks to the increasing numbers of sun-seeking tourists, so it won’t be difficult to find tenants for this property.

In its second annual Global Property Hot Spots roundup, currency specialist HiFX reveals an increase in enquiries over the past 3 years regarding less traditional overseas property destinations like Bulgaria and China, while interest in old favorites such as France and Spain has declined. The report, based on an analysis of enquiries received by the firm, has found France and Spain to be consistently at the top of popular destinations for Brits buying abroad in recent years.

However, the lead of these traditional holiday home countries is being lessened by new emerging markets where investors are vying for properties that will deliver quick growth. Interest in Bulgaria in 2007 was double what it was in 2005, while enquiries relating to property in China increased from zero in 2005 to 3% in 2007, which is more than were received for more traditional destinations such as Portugal and Cyprus.

Over the last 10 years the Western world has enjoyed the biggest property boom in its history, creating a whole generation of potential property investors. Indeed, house prices have boomed in almost every developed market with the exception of Germany and Japan. But with developed economy markets at their current high, investors are increasingly turning their attention away from the traditional markets like Spain and to the emerging markets, such as Eastern Europe and (new for 2008) even farther flung destinations such as Brazil, Egypt and, the canoeist’s favorite, Panama!

According to the report, interest in Spain has decreased by 2% since 2006 and is 10% lower than in 2005. Interest in France remained steady from 2006 to 2007; however enquiries last year were down 7% compared to 2005.