Retail sales in the UK grew by a modest 0.2% in November, falling short of economists' expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figures point to

continued sluggishness in the broader economy.

Economists surveyed by Reuters had predicted a stronger monthly rise of 0.5% in sales volumes compared to October.

Despite marking the first monthly increase since August, retail sales volumes over the three months to November edged up by just 0.3%. This represents the weakest three-month growth rate since the period ending in June, the ONS noted on Friday.

Following the release of the data, the British pound showed little movement against the U.S. dollar. Photo by Velela at English Wikipedia.