British retail sales growth lacklustre in November - BRC

LONDON (Reuters) - British retail sales made a slow start to November but picked up slightly at the end of the month as colder weather boosted sales of winter clothes and footwear, the British Retail Consortium said on Tuesday.

Total retail sales grew 2.3 percent year-on-year in value terms, slower than October's 2.6 percent and well below the average of more than 3 percent seen during the summer.

Like-for-like retail sales, which strip out changes in floor space and are followed by equity analysts, grew just 0.6 percent, down from 0.8 percent in October and the lowest monthly figure since April.

"It remains tough out there on the high street, with sales growth slow but steady," said David McCorquodale, head of retail at KPMG which sponsors the survey.

McCorquodale urged the government to use its budget update on Thursday to alleviate the pressure retailers face from a planned rise in business rates.

Britain's economic recovery has picked up pace in recent quarters but wages are failing to keep pace with inflation.

(Reporting by Christina Fincher; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)