UK retail sales rose in December due to heavy discounting

UK retail sales rose by 0.6% in December after heavy discounting by stores before Christmas.

The Office for National Statistics also said that sales rose by 2.6% over the year to December.

The increase in sales volumes was largely driven by clothing and footwear sales, which rose 1.8% on the year.

But spending on household goods was down 2.4% on last year - the biggest drop since April 2010.

Natalie Berg, a retail analyst from Planet Retail says early discounting means the shops may have sacrificed their profits.