Supermarket giant Sainsbury's gained 1.6 per cent, or 4p, to 252.6p, Primark owner Associated British Foods added 1.5 per cent, or 28.5p, to 1911p, and JD Sports gained 0.1 per cent, or 0.08p, to 81.44p.
According to the Office for National Statistics, UK retail sales climbed 1.7 per cent in January, after a downwardly revised 0.6 per cent drop in December.
The market mood was mixed, with the FTSE 100 closing 0.04 per cent, or 3.6 points, lower at 8659.37, having lost 0.8 per cent over the five sessions this week.
Boost: Renewed growth at food stores, where sales jumped by 5.6 per cent, offset declines for household, clothing and textile goods, alongside automotive fuel.
UK Oil & Gas fell 31.4 per cent, or 0.01p, to 0.01p as it raised £400,431 via a discounted private placing to develop its hydrogen storage project in Dorset in a bid to win a place in the Government's hydrogen storage business model procurement round this year.
