Retailers in the U.K. reported a brighter start to the new year, with sales rising after four straight months of falls, largely from a recovery in the food segment.

Canadian retail sales grew by 2.5% in December from November at C$69.59 billion ($49.05 billion), led by increased sales at food and beverage retailers, as well as motor vehicle and parts dealers, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

According to a Friday U.S. Census Bureau report, retail sales for January were down 0.9% from the December. But total sales for November 2024 - January 2025 were up 4.2%.

U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in January, dropping a seasonally adjusted 0.9% from December to $723.9 billion, the Commerce Department said. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a drop of 0.

Canada's retail sales in December grew by a robust 2.5% on a monthly basis, beating analyst expectations, as a sales tax holiday bumped up sales of food and beverages and people also bought cars and vehicle parts,