Although retail sector employment rose 0.6% in the final quarter of 2012 compared with the same period a year earlier, all these jobs were part-time, the BRC said.

BBC: Hundreds more UK shops close, BRC says

The BRC said these marked the highest like-for-like sales increases on a quarterly basis since December 2009.

BBC: UK retail sales in March hit by cold weather

Retail sales fell 0.4% on a like-for-like basis from the same month last year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

BBC: Retail sales 'hurt by Olympics' in August