Finance
British retail sales rose by more-than-expected 1.8% in January
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 20, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 20, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 20, 2026
UK retail sales rose 1.8% in January, far above the 0.2% forecast, ONS data show. Volumes were 4.5% higher year on year, beating a 2.8% consensus. The surprise points to resilient consumer demand.
LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British retail sales increased by 1.8% in January from December, more than expected and the biggest rise since May 2024, official figures showed on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters had mostly expected that retail sales volumes would increase by 0.2% from December's level.
Sterling strengthened against the U.S. dollar after the figures were published on Friday.
January's monthly sales increase was stronger than December's 0.4% increase, and adds to signs that the economy is beginning to pick up after a weak end to last year.
Britain's economy barely grew at the end of 2025, figures showed last week, and the Bank of England this month cut its forecast for growth for 2026 to 0.9% from 1.2%.
However, some business surveys have pointed to a pick-up in activity at the start of 2026.
Compared with a year earlier, retail sales volumes were 4.5% higher, the ONS said, against economists' expectations of a 2.8% annual rise.
(Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by Sarah Young)
UK retail sales increased by 1.8% in January, according to the Office for National Statistics, beating economists’ expectations and signaling stronger consumer demand.
A Reuters poll expected a 0.2% month-on-month rise, but actual sales climbed 1.8%, a significantly stronger outcome.
Volumes were 4.5% higher than a year earlier, outperforming the consensus forecast of a 2.8% annual increase.
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