• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Property

Furniture and appliances help drive January rebound in retail sales

“In what may be signs of a return to pre-pandemic trends, furniture was the stand-out performer in January, after transport delays in the Christmas period began to ease.”

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2022-02-08 13:35
in Property, Property Renovation
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Retail sales rebounded last month as shoppers spent more on furniture and household goods, according to new figures.

The latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for January revealed that total sales surged 11.9% against the same month last year, although this was strengthened by significant price inflation.

Shops saw customers return after a December which was hamstrung by Plan B restrictions and rising Covid-19 case rates, which disrupted the key Christmas period.

Retailers, whose stores were largely shut in January 2021 due to restrictions, said like-for-like sales last month were up 8.1% on levels from 2021.

Retail experts said the easing of restrictions, however, reduced grocery sales, with total food sales dropping by 0.1% for the past three months.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: “Food sales were more muted than in previous months, as people went back to eating out more often.

“Consumers prioritised home purchases, boosting the sale of household appliances, electronics and homeware.

RelatedPosts

Nine-foot wide house goes on sale in London for £1.3 million

‘David vs Goliath:’ Griff Rhys Jones joins fight against council to save ‘Britain’s oldest beach huts’

Heatmap reveals worst places in London for Japanese knotweed

Help! Dad wants to give me two flats, will he get taxed?

“In what may be signs of a return to pre-pandemic trends, furniture was the stand-out performer in January, after transport delays in the Christmas period began to ease.”

Sales of non-food items, ranging from fashion to furnishings, increased by 11.1% over the three months to January, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Store sales unsurprisingly jumped by more than two thirds as shops were largely shut over the same period last year.

As a result, online sale of non-food items dropped by 24.2% in January as customers moved some of their shopping habits back to physical stores.

Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, said the performance by retailers was “unusually strong” as January is typically a slower month for the sector.

He added: “With Covid restrictions now eased, and people heading back to workplaces, retailers will be hoping consumer confidence remains robust to help offset the rising cost challenges that they are likely to experience for a while.

“We could see a challenging few months ahead if wider macroeconomic conditions start to squeeze household incomes to the point that they start cutting back on retail spending.

“Retailers are facing their own inflationary pressures and will need to take tough decisions on whether and how to pass on the increase in costs they have been sitting on for some time to consumers facing their own financial challenges.”

Separate figures from Barclaycard reported a slowdown in credit card spending as restrictions during January hampered hospitality firms.

The company reported that spending on essential items grew by 10.4% for the month, although this reflected a slowdown as people spent less on fuel as people worked from home.

Hospitality and leisure spending slipped into decline, dropping by 6.3%, as five consecutive months came to an end following work-from-home guidance and messaging encouraging people to socialise less often.

Jose Carvalho, head of consumer products at Barclaycard, said: “January’s Covid restrictions, combined with the rise in the cost of living, clearly impacted consumer spending levels in January.

“While restaurants and bars, pubs and clubs were inevitably hampered by the ongoing pandemic, there are signs of brighter times ahead for hospitality as Brits say they’re planning to spend more on eating and drinking out to lift their spirits during the winter months.”

Related: How successful has the property industry been becoming more inclusive?

Tags: London propertyProperty

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Tories stand by candidate who said people on Benefits Street need ‘putting down’

Cardinal Vincent Nichols quizzed by child abuse inquiry over Fr Tolkien, son of Lord of the Rings writer

Brexit extension needed to avoid plunging NHS into chaos, health leaders say

Boris Johnson not fit to be PM, says Lib Dem leader

Is Priti Patel avoiding scrutiny over Home Office’s coronavirus response?

How to Make… Almond and Matcha Cookies

10 Ways to Make Travelling Fun for Both Parents and Kids

Robby Technologies Brings on Former Apple Exec Saumil Nanavati to Power Autonomous Delivery Robot Growth

Top Tory joins Sturgeon’s call to extend Brexit transition over Covid chaos

Regenerating human body parts could become a reality after a major scientific advance

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.