British retail sales slid unexpectedly in monthly terms in November, a potential indication of the stress felt by many households as the cost-of-living crisis eats into their finances.

Retail sales volumes dropped by 0.4% in November after a 0.9% rise in October which had represented a bounce from September when sales were affected by a one-off public holiday to mark the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a 0.3% rise from October.

Earlier on Friday, market research firm GfK said British consumer confidence crept up this month but was still close to all-time low levels.

Compared with a year earlier, retail sales in November were 5.9% lower, the Office for National Statistics said, a slightly steeper fall than forecast in the Reuters poll. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by William Schomberg)