UK retail sales fell -3.7 percent in December, according to the Office for National Statistics, compared to 1.4 percent in November, before being revised to 1%, missing expectations of a -0.6% decline.

In details, non-food sales declined by 7.1% in December, coinciding with the decline in sub-sectors and the spread of the Omicron mutant in December. Auto fuel sales declined by 4.7% and food sales declined by 1%. Online sales rose slightly to 26.6% from 26.3% .

The British pound is trading at 1.3585 levels against the US dollar.