Myer’s outgoing chief executive John King predicted Black Friday trading to beat Christmas this year, after reporting improved turnover in the past seven weeks.

First-quarter same-store sales fell 0.9 per cent at the Solomon Lew-backed department store. Trading through the last seven weeks of the quarter ending October 28 was down just 0.2 per cent, narrowing from a 1.9 per cent drop over the first six weeks.