UK retail sales fell in the ‘golden quarter’ of Christmas trading, the latest statistics showed today in a further sign of the challenges facing the British high street.
In the three months to December 2019, the amount spent and the quantity bought in the retail industry fell 0.9 per cent and one per cent respectively, when compared with the previous three months. The 0.6 per cent decline in how much shoppers bought during the quarter is the largest drop in more than two years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed.
Economists had expected a rise of up to 0.5 per cent. Meanwhile, the amount spent by UK shoppers in December also fell 0.3 per cent, according to the ONS. In comparison, in the same month of 2018, the amount spent grew 1.5 per cent and the quantity bought increased 0.9 per cent.
Source: City AM
