British shoppers seemed to shrug off Brexit anxiety to spend big in January (Tolga Akmen)

London (AFP) – British retail sales rose far more than expected in January, official data showed on Friday, as consumers appeared to shrug off Brexit uncertainty.

Total sales soared 1.0 percent compared to December, when they dropped 0.7 percent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed in a statement.

That outshone analysts’ consensus forecast for an increase of 0.2 percent. 

“January’s jump in retail sales shows that most households have maintained a happy-go-lucky mentality, despite the fraught political situation,” said Pantheon Macroeconomics analyst Samuel Tombs.

“Right now, households’ real incomes are being supported by low inflation, a decade-high rate of nominal wage growth and solid employment,” he added.

Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29. 

However, with just six weeks to go, British Prime Minister Theresa May has yet to win UK parliament’s backing for her Brexit divorce deal struck with Brussels. 

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