ONS head of retail sales Melanie Richard said: “A continued fall in prices as well as promotions in the run-up to Christmas have helped to boost the amount shoppers bought in November… with the biggest increases coming from department stores and household goods retailers”.
Advertisement
Total sales for United Kingdom retailers grew by 1.7% compared with October, and shot up by 5% against sales in November 2014.
Sales rose 5 per cent from a year earlier, and by 3.9 per cent when fuel is excluded.
The amount spent in the retail industry increased by 1.4% compared with November previous year, and by 1.4% compared with October. Economists said the figures suggested the overall United Kingdom economy will end the year on a strong note.
United Kingdom retail sales increased by 1.7% in November, helped by pre-Christmas spending, official statistics show. Alfonso has also worked as a professional currency trader focused on North America and emerging markets.
The ONS said this year that retailers had reported sales being slightly more spread out in the days running up to Black Friday.
Keith Richardson, managing director retail sector at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “These figures may look strong, and Black Friday certainly saw a lot of money being spent at the end of November, but it is still too early to say whether it was really a success for retailers”. Sales made on a smartphone device grew by 97% year-on-year (YoY) while purchases made on a tablet reached a record low of just 12% YoY, demonstrating a notable shift in mobile spending habits.
And while he suggested it is “only a matter of time before domestically generated inflation picks-up”, the figures also suggested retailers had kept prices low, with average store prices falling 3.3 per cent in November from past year.
On an annual basis, sales were up 5pc, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), marking the 31st consecutive month of increases. Retail sales have benefited as shoppers are left with more spare cash for luxuries thanks to a drop in petrol and food prices.
Advertisement
“With the latest data showing pay growth slowing rather than accelerating, the first hike still seems a long way off”, said Williamson.
