Pearl & Coutts: UK Rise For January Retail Sales Figures

British shoppers boosted sales in January 2013 by 1.9% compared to the previous year. The news from the British Retail Consortium confirmed that consumers defied the wintry weather conditions to produce the fastest sales growth rate since December 2011. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) February 27, 2013 - January is traditionally a challenging trading month for high street retailers. A post-Christmas 'slump' in spending can be coupled with the extremes of the British winter. Yet this year, like-for-like sales actually grew. The news came despite many areas of the country having been blanketed in snow. Many UK local councils had spent much of the month waging well publicised battles with ice gritting key roads. There was a temporary dip in sales corresponding to the start of the icy weather. However, this began to quickly peter out, with high street sales defying gloomy predictions that shoppers would not brave the cold.

The figures have been welcomed in both the retail property industry and the press as the beginning of the 'return to the high street'. It was noted that sales were only partly driven by promotions and discounts to combat the challenging post-Christmas period. Shoppers this year were also spending on fully priced major purchase items. Key purchases included luxuries such as the latest generation of televisions, tablet computers and smartphones. Seasonal necessities such as footwear for the wet and cold weather were also in high demand. The British Retail Consortium linked the rise in sales to an overall recovery in consumer confidence. Total UK sales values rose in January by 3% to reach the highest total since September 2012. Commercial property letting agents Pearl and Coutts specialise in shops to let across the UK and gave their comments on the news:

"As these figures demonstrate, there is a greater sense of consumer confidence this year. Shoppers have been not only looking for bargains but willing to pay premium pricing on higher value items. We have some well-appointed shops available to let across the UK that we are anticipating will be in demand during the next few months. Our team match retailers to shops that are competitively priced, but moreover an intelligent fit for their business needs. We have been doing this for over 35 years now and work closely day to day with retail property in London and many key cities and towns across the country. There is a saying that location is everything in retail. In our experience you actually also need a level of expertise to find the premises that are also going to genuinely support your day to day needs on every level."

Pearl and Coutts also provide associated premises including storage and warehousing units andg office space. They can advise on all aspects of choosing the right premises including advice on applicable building uses.

For all commercial property enquiries, their team speak many languages and can be contacted on 0207 843 3753. The current selection of commercial premises including shops to let is frequently updated online and can be found on the Pearl and Coutts website.

http://www.pearl-coutts.co.uk

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