LONDON, March 24 Reuters Cashstrapped British households cut back on eating out and takeaways last month and instead bought food at supermarkets and shopped at discount stores, giving an unexpected boost to retail sales, official data showed on Friday.

British retail sales unexpectedly rebounded by 1.2 in February from the month before, returning sales volumes to their prepandemic level, the Office for National Statistics said.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that retail sales volumes in February would be 0.2 higher than in January. January sales growth was also revised up to 0.9 from 0.5.

In the latest month, discount department stores performed strongly with food shops also doing well as consumers, confronted with costofliving pressures, cut back on eating out or purchasing takeaways, ONS statistician Darren Morgan said.

British consumers have been squeezed by inflation which hit a 41year high of 11.1 in October and has remained in double digits since.

On Thursday the Bank of England said it expected inflation to fall faster than expected over the coming months, due to lower energy prices and the government39;s extension of subsidies in last week39;s budget.

However, Friday39;s data showed that retail sales volumes in February were still 3.5 lower than a year earlier.

Sales volumes at food shops have suffered less of a hit and were down by 2.3 on a year earlier despite official figures on Wednesday showing an 18 rise in food and drink prices in the…