LONDON, April 18 (Xinhua) -- British retail sales surged in March, reaching the highest since October 2016, according to data released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Figures showed that the quantity bought in March rose by 6.7 percent, compared with the same period one year earlier, the highest since October 2016.
In the three months to March 2019, the quantity bought increased by 1.6 percent, compared with the previous three months.
On the monthly basis, the growth rate in the quantity bought increased by 1.1 percent in March.
Meanwhile, the quantity bought in department stores was the only store type to drop in March 2019, down 0.3 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Rhian Murphy, head of retail sales at ONS, said: "Retail sales increased in the three months to March following sustained growth."
"March's mild weather boosted sales, with food shops also recovering after a weak February," said Murphy, adding that "over the longer term, department stores were the only shop type to see their sales shrink."
