Retailers: how's the market for you right now?

At 07:00 this morning, the latest official retail sales data was published. It says retail sales volumes (quantity bought) are estimated to have rebounded by 3.4% in January 2024, following a record fall of 3.3% in December 2023 (revised from a fall of 3.2%). This was the largest monthly rise since April 2021 and returned volumes to November 2023 levels. Sales volumes in all subsectors except clothing stores increased over the month, with food stores such as supermarkets contributing most to the increase. More broadly, sales volumes fell by 0.2% in the three months to January when compared with the previous three months, however this was the smallest fall since August 2023. A handful of Qs (just answer any or all) but please be QUICK as this story is BREAKING.

• Did you experience this January bounce? How was January for you?
• Hope optimistic are you in the current economic climate (the UK was technically in recession during the Golden Quarter of last year, as announced yesterday)?
• What are the key challenges facing you as a retailer, e.g. reduced consumer demand due to inflation/higher interest rates, or raw material costs?
• What would you like to see announced in the Spring Budget to support the retail sector?

Any other thoughts, send them across ASAP.