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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Holly Williams

‘Unprecedented’ demand for jewellery helps retail sales surge in January

Office for National Statistics
The rise in retail sales was far better than expected,(Alamy/PA) -

Retail sales surged last month in the biggest rise for more than a year and a half as online retailers experienced “unprecedented” demand for jewellery and strong orders of sports supplements amid the New Year health-kick.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the total volume of retail sales, which measures the quantity bought, rose by 1.8% in January, up from growth of 0.4% in December and the largest increase since May 2024.

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