Total UK retail sales rose 1.6% in January, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. This compares with a 5.4% rise in January 2014 but was above the 12 month average of 1.4%. Non-food sales were helped by end-of-season sales which continued into January, while online non-food sales were up 11.7% from January last year.
In a separate report, the BRC/Springboard, footfall in out-of-town retail outlets rose 1.5% in January, which the organisation attributed to strong consumer confidence. However, overall footfall in January fell 1.2% year on year, with shopping centres reporting the largest decline of 2.8%, while high streets saw a 1.6% decline.
