Britain's rain-lashed high streets have overcome exceptional wet weather and floods to post the highest rise in sales for more than a year and a half.
The latest distributive trades survey from the CBI revealed the best reading since June 2012 as clothes sales bounced back after a dismal January, while supermarkets and furniture and carpet firms also enjoyed buoyant trade in a reversal of last month's post-Christmas cut-back.
A poll of 120 firms between January 23 and February 12 showed 45 per cent of retailers overall said sales volumes in the year to February were higher, while 8 per cent said they were down, giving a balance of 37 per cent.
This was far better than expected and came after January saw clothing firms suffer the worst reading for nearly five years due to unseasonably mild temperatures.
But while it has been a warmer winter, retailers have battled against torrential rain and severe flooding.
Despite a sharp slowdown in sales growth in January, the CBI survey has shown rising sales for nine months in a row.
It added that retailers are also expecting a robust March, although the pace of sales growth is seen slowing slightly.
Official figures last week confirmed the high street sales revival, with the Office for National Statistics reporting volumes 4.3 per cent higher year on year in January in spite of a 1.5 per cent drop against the previous month following a bumper Christmas.
The CBI figures showed the reading for clothing firms rebounded from minus 55 per cent in January to plus 33 per cent in February, while grocers enjoyed their strongest rise in sales since June 2012.
Furniture and carpet firms saw sales grow at the fastest pace since last September.
