Retail sales fall for second consecutive month

Retail sales in the UK have fallen for two months in a row for the first time in almost four years, according to a survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.

Figures for November saw a 0.4% fall on the back of a 0.1% drop in October; the first consecutive drop since the survey was first created in January 2005.

The only sector to see a rise in spending was food and drink as supermarkets discounted products to encourage consumers to buy.

Many high street retailers are also heavily discounting goods and the BRC said the recent cut in VAT from 17.5% to 15% would also help boost sales.

"Christmas will arrive late for many retailers, leaving them with a very nerve-wracking couple of weeks to come," said Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG.