Retail sales enjoyed a recovery in February, following some of the worst January figures in recent memory.
This is according to a new survey from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which suggests that like-for-like sales were up by 2.2 per cent during the month. In contrast, poor weather contributed to a 0.7 per cent drop during January - normally a positive period for retailers who cash in during the sales.
But analysts have counseled caution, saying that the results should be seen in the context of last year's performance. "The growth is compared with very weak figures a year ago when February saw the worst of last winter's weather," said BRC director general Stephen Robertson.
Early growth in food sales slowed over the course of the month, with consumers working through stockpiles they had built up during the bad weather.
Online performed particularly well towards the end of the month, expanding by 15.5 per cent as consumers became more confident that their deliveries would arrive on time.
