Early Christmas shopping boosts November food sales, official figures indicate
Retail sales fell last month after Black Friday failed to give its expected boost to online trade, official figures indicate.
But he pointed out that department stores had reported better sales, with bosses saying a longer Black Friday sales period had drawn in more customers. The figures suggest shoppers are "focusing on essentials like food and footwear", said Kevin Bright, an analyst at McKinsey & Co. Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, the boss of the Waterstones bookshop chain, James Daunt, said most retailers are still "probably expecting 2023 to be a time to baton down and concentrate on the basics because it is going to be tough".
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