Investing.com - UK retail sales rose 1.6% in April, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday.
This was compared to a 1.1% decline in the previous month which was revised up from an initial 1.2% decrease.
Economists had forecast a reading of 0.8%.
Year-on-year, retail sales rose by 1.4% last month.
Analysts had penciled in just a 0.1% gain.
Sales in March had advanced 1.3% from the year before, which was an upward revision from the initial 1.1% gain.
Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales and fuel, increased by 1.3% in April, after dropping 0.5% a month earlier.
Economists had expected just a 0.4% rise.
Year-on-year, core retail sales gained 1.5% in April, compared to expectations for a 0.1% increase.
A month earlier, they registered a 1.3% advance which was revised up from an initial 1.1% rise.
