Fri, 20 Feb 2026

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 New Year's sport supplement buying adds to January retail sales surge

Continuing strong sales from online jewellers after a recent spike in gold prices also helped drive the increase.

* Retail sales increased by 1.8% in January, a stronger growth rate than predicted.
* Sales volumes in non-store retailing (mostly online) grew by 3.4%.
* The "other non-food stores" category saw the biggest increase, with sales rising 5.3% due to artwork and antique auctions.
* Despite the monthly rise, overall sales volumes were flat over the three months to January compared to the previous quarter.
* Unemployment is at a near five-year high and wage growth has slowed to 4.2%.
* UK inflation remains above the Bank of England's target of 2%, but is slowing down.
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