Retail sales beat all expectations in August, driven by a dramatic and unexpected jump in demand among shoppers for furniture and lighting.
In figures that in turn delivered a boost to the value of sterling, retail sales rose by 3.3% compared with the same month a year earlier, and by 0.3% on a month-by-month basis.
The pound promptly climbed to a two-month high against the US dollar, rising more than a cent to $1.33. Against the euro, the pound rallied by 0.2 per cent to €1.1275, its best level since mid-July.
