UK retail sales falter in November

(Sharecast News) - UK retail sales softened in November, undershooting expectations for a small rise, after Black Friday failed to bolster demand. According to data released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes were estimated to have fallen by 0.1% on a seasonally-adjusted basis, following an upwardly revised fall of 0.9% in October. Analysts had been expecting a 0.4% uplift.

In the three months to November, sales rose 0.6%, boosted by strong performances from both clothing shops and computer and telecommunication retailers. However, the three-month rise was below expectations, for a 0.9% increase.

Seasonally-adjusted figures strip out the effect of Black Friday, which this year was on 28 November; last year it fell into the ONS's December reporting period.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, sales volumes jumped 11.9%, compared with a 4.4% rise in October.

The ONS said data suggested that the Black Friday effect was "slightly weaker than usual" this year.

According to its own research into public opinions, less than a third of adults said they planned to shop in the Black Friday sales.