Retail spending picked up sharply in January as consumers flocked to post-Christmas sales, offering some relief to a sector hit by a subdued festive period and rising employment costs.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG showed that retail sales increased by 2.7 per cent year-on-year last month, up from growth of just 1.2 per cent in December.
The improvement suggests that many shoppers delayed spending before Christmas and instead waited for deeper January discounts.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “A drab December gave way to a brighter January as retail sales picked up pace. Many shoppers had held off Christmas spending and waited for the January sales, with the start of the new year showing the strongest growth.”
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