London shops saw a major boost in takings from the previous year, bucking the trend for UK retail sales, which are in decline, a survey suggests.
Figures from London Retail Consortium (LRC) show a 6.5% increase in sales on the year during January, as customers in the capital responded to promotions and clearance sales.
The size of the margin is partly due to a poor comparative figure of just 0.1% for January 2005, the LRC said.
However, it is the third consecutive month that London has outperformed the rest of the country after a four-month decline following the July bombings.
Clothing shops saw an improvement with designer and contemporary fashion outperforming basic core items.
Men's shoes also did well in the sales and accessories remained popular, especially handbags.
Home accessories, glass and china struggled even with heavy discounts.
Larger homeware continued to be tough to sell, though there was some interest in electrical goods such as large flat-panel TVs.
Shops were helped by tourists from the Middle East and Russia, which particularly benefited luxury retailers.
However, spending by American and Japanese visitors is still below the figures prior to July 2005.
Kevin Hawkins, of the LRC, said: “This month's results represent another impressive performance by central London's retailers, particularly given the poor figures for the rest of the UK.
“The results show the largest gain since March 2004.
“Next month's results should give us a better view of the underlying trends.”
