UK Shoppers Rein in Spending as Brexit Nears

Shoppers walk past sale signs at a branch of the British clothing and food retailer Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street in London, Britain, on Jan. 3, 2019. Toby Melville/Reuters

LONDON—British shoppers cut back on spending in the three months to December for the first time since last spring, adding to evidence of a consumer slowdown as Brexit approaches, data showed on Jan. 17.

Retail sales volumes fell 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter after a 0.2 percent rise in the three months to November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.