British retail sales unexpectedly rose by 1 per cent in February, propelled by an increase at department stores as well as clothing and household goods shops.
Friday’s monthly data from the Office for National Statistics showed the volume of goods bought exceeded the 0.4 per cent contraction expected by economists polled by Reuters.
However the figure fell short of January’s 1.4 per cent increase.
Retail sales rose by 0.3 per cent in the three months to February compared with the previous three months, indicating resilient spending despite the backdrop of weak economic growth and low consumer confidence.
Supermarket sales volumes fell back following a strong rise in January.
This is a developing story
