Retailers had a surprisingly good month in January, as shoppers’ appetite for discount spending prompted the first monthly rise in sales volumes since last summer.
“However, clothing shops and household goods stores had less of a successful month with retailers reporting lacklustre sales due to weak consumer confidence.
ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach said: “Retail sales rebounded strongly in January following four months of consecutive falls.
The figures could signal a boost for Labour, as more spending at retailers tends to help economic growth, which the Government has said is its top priority.
The rise was driven by a sharp uptick in food sales, which jumped by the highest amount since the start of Covid-19 lockdowns in March 2020.
.jpeg?trim=599,0,600,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1000)
