Unexpected rise in British retail sales

London: British retail sales unexpectedly rose in March as the biggest jump in spending on food in 10 months outweighed a decline at other shops.

Sales climbed 0.2% from February, when they fell 0.9%, the Office for National Statistics said. Analysts had forecast a 0.5% decline. Sales increased by 1.3% in comparison to last year.

The report suggests a surge in commodity prices and inflation — double the central bank’s 2% target — has yet to dent shoppers’ spending at a time when they face a government budget squeeze.