Promotions help drive November UK retail sales surge

UK retail sales surged as shoppers took advantage of ‘Black Friday’ discounts. Sales were up 1.7% in November, smashing expectations of a mere 0.5% rise, according to the Office for National Statistics. The increase pushes sales 1.5% higher in the fourth quarter so far compared to the third quarter, adding to signs that the economy has enjoyed a strong end to the year. GDP looks set to rise by 0.6% in the final three months of the year.