Investing.com - UK retail sales rose 0.8% in February the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday.
This was compared to a 0.2% decline in the previous month which was revised downwards from an initial 0.1% gain.
Economists had forecast a reading of 0.4%.
Year-on-year, retail sales rose by 1.5% last month.
Analysts had penciled in a 1.3% gain.
Sales in January had advanced 1.5% from the year before, which was a slight downward revision from the initial 1.6% gain.
Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales and fuel, increased by 0.6% in February .
Economists had expected a 0.4% rise.
January’s reading was revised to a decline of 0.2% from the prior 0.1% increase.
Year-on-year, core retail sales gained 1.1% in February, compared to expectations for a 1.2% increase.
A month earlier, they registered a 1.3% advance which was revised down from an initial 1.5% rise.