UK retail sales rose less than expected over the Christmas period, suggesting that consumer spending has done little to support the economy, while public finances deteriorated ahead of the national lockdown in January, according to fresh data released on Friday.
The volume of sales climbed 0.3 per cent in December compared with the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said, which is lower than a 1.2 per cent increase forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. It follows a 3.8 per cent contraction in November when sales were limited by a month-long lockdown.
“December’s retail sales increased slightly, driven by an improved month for clothing sales, as the easing of some lockdown measures for parts of the month meant more stores were able to open,” said Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics.
In 2020 retail sales had their largest annual fall in history.
Retail sales advanced 2.9 per cent compared with the same month a…