THE value of UK retail sales in January was up by 3.3 per cent on the same month of last year, a buoyant performance following a disappointing December for the sector, the latest industry figures have shown.
This rise, unveiled in the latest monthly figures published today by the British Retail Consortium, is the strongest year-on-year increase in sales value since September last year. Furniture sales were strong, with demand for clothing and footwear driven by discounting.
In December, the value of UK retail sales had been up by only one per cent year-on-year.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Following on from a somewhat disappointing Christmas period for retailers, the new year kicked off to a strong start, with 3.3 per cent growth across all product categories.”
She added: “January’s performance was driven by big-ticket items, in particular furniture, which is encouraging in the largest month of the year for the category. However, the performance in clothing and footwear was driven by the new year sales. After seeing a slight recovery in December, food sales were once again slightly down in January.”
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