Retail sales in the United Kingdom decreased in January by 0.3 percent on a like-for-like basis from one year prior, the British Retail Consortium reported Tuesday.
The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor reported total sales were up 2.1 percent on year.
Food sales declined sharply after seeing a rise in December, BRC said.
BRC said non-food non-store sales (internet, mail-order and phone) were up 11.3 percent on year, compared to an 18.5 percent on-year gain in December 2012.
The figures were significantly lower than the same data one year ago.
Like-for-like sales in January 2011 were up 2.3 percent and total sales for January 2011 were up 4.2 percent.
"Despite consumer confidence improving in January, actual spending shows households concentrating on paying off debt, saving and battening down for another tough year," said BRC Director General Stephen Robertson.
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