MNI BRIEF: UK Sales Bounce in Jan As Omicron Abated- BRC/KPMG

Same-store sales across the UK jumped by an annual rate of 8.1% in January, helped by easy comparisons with the same month of 2021, when much of the retailing sector was hampered by lockdowns. The January reading exceeded three-month average growth of 3.3% but fell short of the 12-month average of 9.0%.

“It is encouraging to see such strong sales in January, even once inflation has been accounted for,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium. “Food sales were more muted than in previous months, as people went back to eating out more often.”

Supermarket sales slumped by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis, well below the 12-month average of 2.4%. But non-food sales kept the sector afloat in January, with same-store sales rosing by 6.5%. However, that was well below the 12-month average rate of 18.0%.