The ONS data showed retail sales volumes were 5.5% lower than before the pandemic in February 2020. That indicates that the impact of restrictions on the retail sector was not as large as that seen in April during the first full month of retail restrictions, when sales fell by 22.2% when compared with levels before the virus crisis.
Meanwhile, a number of online retailers have seen strong trading as people took to digital shopping while much of the high street remained closed.
The proportion spent online soared to 35.2% in January 2021, the highest on record.
This compares with 29.6% in December 2020 and 19.5% reported in January last year.
