UK retail sales bounce back in January

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Retail sales bounced back sharply in January, rising by 1% on the previous month, official figures showed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the amount of goods sold rose by 1%, after falling by 0.7% in December, with discounts in clothing helping to boost sales.

Compared with a year ago, retail sales were 4.2% higher in January.

That was the biggest annual rise since December 2016. The figures beat most economists’ expectations.

“Clothing stores saw strong sales, luring consumers with price reductions, with food sales also growing after a slight dip after Christmas,” said ONS statistician Rhian Murphy.

The ONS said clothing prices fell by the most since August 2016.

The figures suggest that consumer spending may have picked up again after a lull following the summer’s World Cup.

They echo those from the British Retail Consortium, which showed shops saw their fastest sales growth in seven months.

Other recent figures showed wages were picking up after years of stagnation.