Retail sales in the U.K. fell more than expected in December 2018, with all sectors except food stores and fuel stores registering falls.
Sales declined by 0.9% month over month in December 2018, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. The Econoday consensus estimate was for a 0.8% monthly decrease.
Online retailing registered a year-over-year rise of 13.9%, accounting for 20% of total retailing in December 2018.
In the three months to December 2018, retail sales volume declined by 0.2% compared with the previous three-month period. The ONS noted falls in all main sectors except fuel.
On an annual basis, total sales volume grew by 3.0% in December 2018.
The decline in retail figures comes at a time when businesses and consumers remain cautious amid concerns surrounding Brexit, which led to a no-confidence vote that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's government survived Jan. 16.