A survey from Barclays credit card division on January spending, this via Reuters:

Barclaycard reported a 4.4 percent annual increase in retail spending during January

  • up from growth of 4.0 percent in December,
  • However, this reflected a 15 percent surge in petrol spending
  • Spending on electronics and department store goods fell last month

Adds Reuters ... "pointed to early signs that consumers are beginning to feel the strain of inflation"