UK retailers endure ‘drab December’ as non-food sales fall flat

Shoppers on the high street in Canterbury, Kent. Overall retail sales grew by an annual rate of just 1.2% during the festive period, the BRC said. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Retailers suffered a “drab Christmas”, ending the year with disappointing sales in their most important month, according to new data underlining the difficulties facing Britain’s high streets.

Overall retail sales grew by just 1.2% in December compared with a year earlier, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. That was below the 12-month average of 2.3%.