Retail Sales Struggle to Bounce Back In Jan.>

UK DATA: Retail Sales Struggle to Bounce Back In Jan After Dec Slide  

-UK Jan Total Retail Sales +0.1% m/m; +1.6% y/y; +0.1% 3m/3m

-UK Jan Retail Sales Ex-Fuel +0.1% m/m; +1.5% y/y; +0.1% 3m/3m

-UK Q4 Retail Sales Rev Up to 0.5% q/q; To Add 0.03pp to Q4 GDP 

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The narrative of a continued slowdown in the retail sales sector 

extended into the New Year, with volumes growth broadly flat in January, 

after December's 1.4% m/m fall. Over the Nov-Jan period, capturing all 

of the festive promotions, sales volumes were up 1.5% 3m y/y, lower than 

the 4.0% 3m y/y growth recorded in Jan 2017. Retailers typically 

experience a fall a in food sales and an uptake in sports gear in the 

month of January, as shoppers turn more health-conscious, but this 

effect was more pronounced in 2018. On the year, sales of sports gear, 

games and toys rose 10.9%.