HOPES of a post-Christmas revival in retail sales have been dashed research which points to the quietest January in five years.
The national study by the CBI found 33 per cent of firms believed their sales volumes were down on a year earlier, compared with the 30 per cent who thought they were up, despite a majority of firms indicating last month that they were hopeful of an improvement in January.
In Swindon there has not been the revival hoped for when traders were experiencing poor Christmas sales.
And Dennis Grant, the chief executive of Swindon Chamber of Commerce, pictured left, thinks the lull may continue.
"January has not materialised in the way many people hoped," he said.
"There is a general quietness out there.
"Interest rates are not going to go down and people still have credit cards to pay off so I suspect we are in for a quiet time."
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