According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) like-for-like retail sales rose 1.8 per cent from November 2008, when sales had dropped 2.6 per cent due to the global financial crisis.
Today's figures followed October's uplift, which had seen a 3.8 per cent gain. The BRC said much of the reason for the fall last month had been lower food price inflation, adding that clothing and footwear sales had also been weaker.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, said: 'We would have expected much stronger growth because the comparison is with very poor results in 2008 when November was the second worst performing month of the year.
'Growth was weaker than a strong October, but it's not as bad as it seems. A lot of this was down to the sharp fall in food inflation which continues to dampen food retailers' sales.
'Consumer confidence is fragile and has taken a turn for the worse. We're the only major economy still in recession. Uncertainty over jobs and future tax increases and government spending cuts is making customers more cautious. Retailers are hopeful of a better Christmas than last year's dire performance, but it's still all to play for.'
The BRC figures showed toys continued to sell well in November, while gaming was boosted by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and in music, Susan Boyle's debut album broke the record for first-week sales.
In clothing overall sales continued to be weak, with children's clothes driving sales. The year-on-year fall in menswear was the worst since May 2008 and, as for womenswear, any gains were often discount-driven, the BRC said.
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG, who put the retail sales figures together alongside the BRC, said: 'On the face of it, a disappointing result for November given that October showed the best like-for-like growth since 2002.
'Although regaining ground lost in the early run up to Christmas is difficult, if not impossible, many retailers will be quietly confident that their performance will not be anywhere near as bad as some may have expected six months ago.'
Today's figures followed October's uplift, which had seen a 3.8 per cent gain. The BRC said much of the reason for the fall last month had been lower food price inflation, adding that clothing and footwear sales had also been weaker.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, said: 'We would have expected much stronger growth because the comparison is with very poor results in 2008 when November was the second worst performing month of the year.
'Growth was weaker than a strong October, but it's not as bad as it seems. A lot of this was down to the sharp fall in food inflation which continues to dampen food retailers' sales.
'Consumer confidence is fragile and has taken a turn for the worse. We're the only major economy still in recession. Uncertainty over jobs and future tax increases and government spending cuts is making customers more cautious. Retailers are hopeful of a better Christmas than last year's dire performance, but it's still all to play for.'
The BRC figures showed toys continued to sell well in November, while gaming was boosted by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and in music, Susan Boyle's debut album broke the record for first-week sales.
In clothing overall sales continued to be weak, with children's clothes driving sales. The year-on-year fall in menswear was the worst since May 2008 and, as for womenswear, any gains were often discount-driven, the BRC said.
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG, who put the retail sales figures together alongside the BRC, said: 'On the face of it, a disappointing result for November given that October showed the best like-for-like growth since 2002.
'Although regaining ground lost in the early run up to Christmas is difficult, if not impossible, many retailers will be quietly confident that their performance will not be anywhere near as bad as some may have expected six months ago.'
