UK Retail Sales Suffer Record Drop On Omicron Fears

Faizan Hashmi Published January 21, 2022 | 07:36 PM

British retail sales suffered a record drop in December as consumers shunned the high street due to Omicron concerns, having snapped up Christmas purchases the previous month, data showed Friday

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jan, 2022 ) :British retail sales suffered a record drop in December as consumers shunned the high street due to Omicron concerns, having snapped up Christmas purchases the previous month, data showed Friday.

Total sales volumes dropped 3.7 percent last month from November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

That was the biggest December month-on-month drop since the data series began in 1996, the ONS said.

Sales had risen by one percent in November as some consumers bought early gifts for the festive season amid fears over supply-chain problems.

"After strong pre-Christmas trading in November, retail sales fell across the board in December with feedback from retailers suggesting Omicron impacted on footfall," noted Heather Bovill, ONS deputy director for surveys and economic indicators.

"As (Covid) restrictions in England meant more people working from home, there was a notable fall for fuel sales," she said, adding that one quarter of December sales were online.

The ONS added, however, that retail sales are currently 2.6 percent higher than their pre-pandemic level.