November 19, 2011
Britain retail sales rise
LONDON, England (AFP) — British retail sales unexpectedly rose in October, by 0.6 per cent from September, as consumers took advantage of heavy discounting in stores ahead of Christmas, official data showed on Thursday.
Analysts had expected retail sales to have dropped by 0.2 per cent last month, according to a poll by Dow Jones Newswires.
“Feedback from retailers suggests that the monthly increase in sales volume… was a result of pre-Christmas sales and in store promotions,” the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.
Retail sales, meanwhile, jumped by 0.9 per cent in October compared with the same month in 2010, the ONS added. Analysts had expected flat sales volumes year-on-year.