Investing.com – Retail sales in Britain rose unexpectedly in November, industry data showed on Thursday.
In a report the Confederation of British Industry said the result of its index of U.K. retailers rose to 43 in November, up from 36 in October.
Analysts had expected the index to decline to 35 in November.
On the index, a reading above zero indicates higher sales volume, below indicates lower.
Commenting on the report, CBI Chief Economic Adviser Ian McCafferty said, “High street sales growth held up well in November, and retailers are hopeful that the run-up to Christmas will be just as strong.”
He added, “Looking into the New Year, retail sales growth may lose some of its sparkle, as confidence remains fragile, VAT is rising in January, and a combination of weak wage growth and high inflation is eating into household incomes.”
Following the release of that data, the pound was down against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD falling 0.09% to hit 1.5753.
Meanwhile, European stock markets were mixed. The FTSE 100 gained 0.25%, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.44%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.32%, while Germany's DAX was up 0.16%.
In a report the Confederation of British Industry said the result of its index of U.K. retailers rose to 43 in November, up from 36 in October.
Analysts had expected the index to decline to 35 in November.
On the index, a reading above zero indicates higher sales volume, below indicates lower.
Commenting on the report, CBI Chief Economic Adviser Ian McCafferty said, “High street sales growth held up well in November, and retailers are hopeful that the run-up to Christmas will be just as strong.”
He added, “Looking into the New Year, retail sales growth may lose some of its sparkle, as confidence remains fragile, VAT is rising in January, and a combination of weak wage growth and high inflation is eating into household incomes.”
Following the release of that data, the pound was down against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD falling 0.09% to hit 1.5753.
Meanwhile, European stock markets were mixed. The FTSE 100 gained 0.25%, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.44%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.32%, while Germany's DAX was up 0.16%.