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(Alliance News) - The UK retail sector rebounded at the start of 2022 after a disappointing December hit by the Omicron variant of Covid-19, data from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.
UK retail sales rose 1.9% year-on-year in January after a 4.0% fall in December. This beat expectations of just 1.0% growth, according to FXStreet.
"After a sluggish December where the Omicron wave had a significant impact, retail sales rebounded in January with their biggest monthly rise since the shops reopened last spring," said Darren Morgan, director of Economic Statistics at the ONS.
Non-food store sales rose by 3.4% in January as home improvement sales volumes picked up with increased sales in household goods and garden centres. However, food store sales fell below pre-virus levels for the first time after a 2.3% monthly decline in January.
The ONS's Morgan chalked the drop in food sales down to people returning to eating out. "There was also anecdotal evidence suggesting higher demand for takeaways and meal-subscription kits," he added.
Overall, UK sales were 3.6% above pre-pandemic levels at the start of 2022.
By Lucy Heming; lucyheming@alliancenews.com
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