UK retail sales climb in January
UK retail sales rose by 11.9% on a total basis in January against a decline of 1.3% in the same month a year ago as retailers experienced strong demand for furniture and homewares.
According to figures from the British Retail Consortium, sales were up 7.5% compared to the same month in 2020 before the pandemic struck.
On a like-for-like basis, UK retail sales grew by 8.1% on January 2021 when they had increased 7.1%.
Over the three months to January, food sales edged down 0.1% year-on-year on a total basis and by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis.
Meanwhile, non-food sales increased by 11.1% on a total basis and by 6.5% like-for-like over the same period.
Helen Dickinson BRC chief executive, said: “It is encouraging to see such strong sales in January, even once inflation has been accounted for. Food sales were more muted than in previous months, as people went back to eating out more often. Consumers prioritised home purchases, boosting the sale of household appliances, electronics and homeware. In what may be signs of a return to pre-pandemic trends, furniture was the stand-out performer in January, after transport delays in the Christmas period began to ease.”
