'Drab' Christmas for retail as shoppers save cash for sales

STORES suffered a “drab” run-up to Christmas as shoppers held out for the sales or saved for holidays or DIY.

- By Josie Clark

Dickinson called for positive action

Total retail sales were up 1.2% on a year earlier but below the 12-month average of 2.3%.

Nonfood sales fell by 0.3% on last December and below the 12-month average of 1.1% growth. Food sales increased 3.1% but inflation played into this and it was still below the 12-month average of 3.7%.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium which gathered the data with KPMG, said: “It was a drab Christmas for retailers. Sales growth slowed for the fourth consecutive month.