Black Friday discounts drive surprise rise in UK retail sales

Buoyant data confounds business group warnings but analysts fear November sales rise may come at the expense of the traditional Christmas splurge

Black Friday discounts helped drive a surprise jump in UK retail sales last month, as shoppers splashed out online and in department stores.

Official figures showed retail sales volumes were up 1.7% from the month before, beating forecasts for growth of 0.5% in a Reuters poll of economists. On the year, sales volumes were up 5%, defying the 3% growth forecast.

Related: Black Friday: five lessons for UK retailers