Bad weather keeps...

January sales low, catalogue operator says

The blizzards across the UK contributed to one of the worst January sales periods for five years. Resulting in analysts finding it difficult to judge how the economic recession would have impacted the sales.

Both Argos, operator of the UK's leading catalogue, and the British Retail Consortium have released data which shows lower than expected sales in January 2010.

The British Retail Consortium have been recording a foot traffic since 2002, detailing the amount of people pounding the high street in January each year. The number recorded in 2010 was the lowest ever recorded.

The one note of optimism, was that the people who did shop, spent more than in the last couple of years. Although the numbers were low, December had been exceptionally good, although Argos catalogue sales failed to meet their projected target.

Regionally, London is out performing the rest of England, with small but continual growth. The fall in London January sales appears to be more tied to the weather. Whereas sluggish growth in the rest of England has been effected more by the VAT increase, wages not exceeding inflation, higher unemployment, consumer caution and the higher than expected prices.

Sales figures improved for London by the end of January, as the weather improved. But it was too little too late, to effect the overall sales slump.

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