Retail sales in the UK rose more than expected last month, mainly thanks to Black Friday, early Christmas shopping and the lifting of locdown restrictions that closed many stores last year, according to official figures.
Retail sales volumes increased by 2.4% in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, and were 4.7% higher than the previous year, when some stores that did not sell basic necessities closed.
Economists expected sales volumes to increase by 0.8% on a monthly basis and be higher by 4.2% compared to November 2020.
October sales were also revised higher.
Retail sales rebounded in November, boosted by Black Friday and pre-Christmas shopping. “Clothing stores did very well and surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time,” said ONS statistician Heather Bovill.
Clothing and footwear sales were severely affected by the pandemic, as people went out less and shops were closed, but have now risen 51% from the previous year.
UK retail sales have recovered rapidly since falling at the start of the pandemic in 2020, but had fallen since the peak in April as easing coronavirus restrictions gave consumers a wider range of spending options.
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Source From: Capital
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