Official figures released today show that British retail sales increased more sharply than expected in January, following falls in a number of categories in December.
The Office for National Statistics said retail sales rose 0.9% in the month after a revised 1.1% fall in December. The January increase was the biggest since September and came in slightly ahead of analysts' expectations.
The annual rate of growth was 3.9%, up from 3.2% in December.
The ONS said January's gain was driven by sales at non-specialised stores such as department stores, which were up 2.7%.
The data are not expected to have much impact on interest rate decisions, as Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has warned that a clearer picture on sales will not emerge for another few months.
