British retail sales up in January

Shoppers in Britain, eager to hit the high street after being trapped at home by the snow helped retail sales bounce back in January, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said today.

A rush to beat the VAT hike on January 4 and the allure of clearance sales boosted non-food sales at the start of the month, but they eased back as consumer caution took hold, the BRC said.