Retail sales in Great Britain rose for the first time in six months in October as consumers started their Christmas shopping earlier than usual to avoid missing out if there was a shortage of goods.
The total volume of goods bought rose by 0.8% last month, according to the Office for National Statistics, compared with flat sales in September, driven by a rise in spending on toys and clothes. Economists had forecast a smaller rise in sales of 0.5%.
Retailers reported that early Christmas trading had boosted clothing store sales to within only 0.5% of pre-pandemic levels, while secondhand stores, toy shops and sports equipment stores also benefited from a scramble to avoid disappointment amid the global supply chain disruption.
The rise in
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