London sales strengthen in January

Retailers in London saw sales at their highest for five months – increasing 6.5 per cent when compared with January 2008 on a like-for-like basis.

Retail sales in the capital were 1.1 per cent stronger than the UK as a whole, while footfall was also up on last year, but slightly weaker than in December, according to the British Retail Consortium.

The rise was put down to discounts and sales alongside the increasingly enticing proposition of shopping in the UK from abroad.

Clothing and footwear were amongst the categories benefiting most from the sales increase.