The UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) said that sales in shops rose by 5.3 percent in December 2013 compared to the same period in 2012.
And, according to ONS, small shops did better than the megachains, rising by eight percent compared to 2.6 percent.
Growth in online sales now represents 12 percent of the pie and it’s thought that some of the growth was because shops frantically discounted in December. That’s not necessarily a good thing, of course.
As we reported earlier this month, sales were mixed from the big boys – M&S and Debenhams didn’t do that brilliantly but John Lewis surged ahead.
