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UK retail sales increased by 0.2% in February on a like-for-like basis compared to the same time last year.
This is according to the British Retail Consortium’s BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor which found on a total basis, sales were up 1.7%, against a 0.7% rise in February 2014.
Adjusted for the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index deflation, total growth was 3.4%, above the 12-month average of 3.2%.
Sales of non-food items rose by 2.2% on a total basis and by 1.2% like-for-like. Meanwhile total food sales in the three months to February grew by 0.5%, but on a like-for-like basis dropped by 1.6%.
Online sales of non-food products in the UK grew by 8.3% in February versus a year earlier, while the non-food online penetration rate was 17.5%, up from 16.6% in February 2014.
Helen Dickinson, director general at the BRC, said: “After the bustle of Christmas and the excitement of the January sales, February is usually a quiet month for retailers. So it’s heartening to see that retail sales continued to rise this month by close to 2%.
“What’s interesting is that almost all categories of product saw increased sales – so the good news is shared out pretty evenly across the industry as a whole. There was some specific excitement around swimwear, sandals and other ‘holiday’ items as consumers turned their mind to their getaways. Valentine’s Day also drove good sales of beauty products, jewellery and food related gifts.”
