UK retail sales delivered a surprise boost in February, rising by 1 per cent month-on-month and defying expectations of a downturn, as consumers continued to spend on clothing, homewares and household goods despite lingering economic uncertainty.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mark the second consecutive month of growth in retail volumes, with analysts having forecast a 0.4 per cent contraction. Annual retail sales growth also strengthened to 2.2 per cent, up from 0.6 per cent in January.
Non-food store sales, including clothing and department stores, rose by 3.1 per cent — the highest monthly level since March 2022. Food sales, however, fell back by 2 per cent following a strong 4.8 per cent increase in January.
Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician at the ONS, said: “Retail sales jumped again in February, with increases across most sectors. However, after a very strong January, food sales fell back, particularly across supermarkets.”
She added that it was a particularly strong month for household goods stores, which saw their biggest increase since April 2021 — largely driven by hardware store sales. Clothing also saw a moderate lift, with widespread discounting contributing to the uptick.
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