Investing.com - UK retail sales rose 0.1% in January the Office for National Statistics said on Friday.
This was compared to a decline of 1.4% in the previous month, revised from a 1.5% decrease.
Economists had forecast a reading of a 0.5% advance.
Year-on-year, retail sales rose by 1.6% last month.
Analysts had penciled in a 2.6% gain.
Sales in December had advanced 1.5% from the year before, which was a slight upward revision from the initial 1.4% gain..
Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales and fuel, increased by 0.1% in January.
Economists had expected a 0.6% rise.
December’s reading was revised to a decline of 1.5% from the prior 1.6% drop.
Year-on-year, core retail sales gained 1.5% in January, compared to expectations for a 2.5% increase.
A month earlier, they registered a 1.3% advance.