MNI BRIEF: UK Retail Sales Slump As Lockdown Hits Home

UK retail sales slumped in January with April 2020 the only time on record a greater month-on-month decline has been reported, Deputy National Statistician Jonathan Athow said Friday. Total retail sales fell 8.2% on month according to the Office for National Statistics, leaving them 5.5% lower than before the pandemic hit. That was far faster than a 3% median decline forecast by City analysts, but in line with the MNI Reality Check that pointed to a far sharper decline.

Despite the gloomy data, Athow said the "decrease seen this time was not as large as that of the first lockdown, as some stores have adapted to the current circumstances, with services such as click-and-collect helping to cushion the fall."