January sales kicked off a solid month for retail 'with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years'

In January 2024, UK total retail sales increased by 2.6% year on year, considerably outperforming previous trends and averages. Notably, food sales rose by 2.8%, while non-food sales jumped 2.5%, despite weaker figures observed in January 2023. In-store non-food sales and online non-food sales also reported increases. The online penetration rate for non-food items dipped slightly. Helen Dickinson of the British Retail Consortium highlighted this growth resulted from consumers refreshing their homes and taking advantage of discounts. Stormy weather posed challenges; however, the overall sales performance remained strong throughout the month.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, albeit on a weak comparable."

Consumers headed to the shops to refresh their homes for the year ahead, taking advantage of big discounts on furniture, bedding and other home accessories.

Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com