January proved to be a surprisingly fruitful month for retailers, as bargain-hunting shoppers prompted the first monthly increase in sales volumes since last summer.
According to the Office for National Statistics, food sales rocketed by 5.6%, with supermarkets and specialist outlets like butchers and bakers enjoying robust trade due to increased home dining.
"However, clothing shops and household goods stores had less of a successful month with retailers reporting lacklustre sales due to weak consumer confidence.
However, clothing retailers and other non-food sellers experienced a slower pace of trade, with sales dipping by 1.3% over the month.
Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician at ONS, commented: "Retail sales rebounded strongly in January following four months of consecutive falls.
