(Alliance News) - UK retail sales improved in January, a survey on Tuesday showed, though still failed to recover the dulled "golden quarter" from the Christmas trading period.
According to the BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor covering the five weeks from December 29 to February 1, total UK retail sales rose 2.6% in January, slowing from a 3.2% growth in December but improving from a 1.2% growth in January 2024.
Retail sales in January were above the 3-month average growth of 1.1% and exceeded the 12-month average growth of 0.8%.
"January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, albeit on a weak comparable," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium.
Food sales were up 2.8% on-year in January, worsening from a 6.1% rise last year and falling short of the 3% average over the last 12 months.
Non-food sales, on the other hand, improved to a 2.5% growth for January, from a decline of 2.8% a year prior. This compared to a 3-month average rise of 0.2% and a 12-month average decline of 1.1%.
In-store non-food sales edged up 2.6% on-year, against a decline of 2.0% in January 2024, while online non-food sales increased 2.2% against an on-year decline of 4.2%.
In-store non-food sales averaged a twelve-month decline of 0.7%, and online non-food sales averaged 0.1% growth.
Linda Ellet, UK head of consumer, retail & leisure at KPMG, said: "2025 got off to a welcome start for retailers with much-needed sales growth in January. But viewed over a three-month period that included Christmas and Black Friday, non-food sales have flatlined. Overall, the golden quarter failed to shine."
Ellet continued: "The trading environment remains tough for retailers, with consumer demand still subdued and household essential bills still high. Business costs are also coming under pressure, with rising employment costs only increasing that in the coming months."
By Emily Parsons, Alliance News reporter
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