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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Surprise rise in UK retail sales | Surprise rise in UK retail sales |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| UK retail sales rose unexpectedly last month, official figures have shown. | UK retail sales rose unexpectedly last month, official figures have shown. |
| Total sales climbed 0.3% in November from the previous month, said the Office for National Statistics. The annual rate of growth was up 1.5%. | |
| The data will surprise most commentators, as analysts had been widely predicting a fall from October. | The data will surprise most commentators, as analysts had been widely predicting a fall from October. |
| The rise in monthly sales was led by household goods, which were up 3.9% in November - their biggest monthly increase since July 2007. | The rise in monthly sales was led by household goods, which were up 3.9% in November - their biggest monthly increase since July 2007. |
| 'Doesn't tally' | |
| Food sales were up 0.2% for the month, while those of clothing and footwear were down 0.1%. | Food sales were up 0.2% for the month, while those of clothing and footwear were down 0.1%. |
| The level of overall retail sales made via the internet was 3.8%, up from 3.2% in October. | The level of overall retail sales made via the internet was 3.8%, up from 3.2% in October. |
| Analysts had been expecting retail sales to fall 0.6% in November. | Analysts had been expecting retail sales to fall 0.6% in November. |
| "Early Christmas shopping could explain part of the strength, but it doesn't really tally with the weakness in consumer confidence nor the data seen in the CBI and British Retail Consortium surveys," said James Knightley, an economist at ING. |