Afbeelding: Shoppers carry bags from clothing retailer Primark along Regent Street in London, England, on February 9, 2019. February 15 sees the release of the first monthly retail sales figures of the year (for January) from the UK's Office for National Statistics. December figures revealed a 0.9 percent fall in sales from the month before, which saw a 1.4 percent rise widely attributed to the impact of 'Black Friday' deals encouraging earlier Christmas shopping. More generally, with a potential no-deal departure from the EU growing nearer and continuing to undermine consumer confidence in the UK, economy-watchers have little cause for optimism at present that any kind of turnaround for Britain's struggling retail sector might be on the horizon. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)