Retail sales rebounded strongly in December as shops slashed prices to lure in pre-Christmas shoppers, providing a rare note of relief after a grim 2011, official data showed last Friday. The figures raise hopes that the economy as a whole avoided contracting in the last three months of 2011, though there is little evidence that the strong sales will persist into 2012. The Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes rose 0.6% on the month to give an annual rise of 2.6% broadly in line with economists' forecasts for monthly and annual rises of 0.6% and 2.4% respectively. This was the best annual performance since January, following a 0.5% month-on-month fall in November. Sales in the three months to December were 1.1% up on Q3, the biggest increase since August 2010. However, economists have warned that December's strong performance may prove a flash in the pan, driven by earlier-than-usual discounting by retailers, Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday and a favourable annual comparison with December 2010, when heavy snow disrupted trade. Companies' Christmas trading statements have been mixed. High street electronics and entertainment retailers such as Dixons, Comet, HMV and Game have reported sharp annual falls in sales, as has Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco. The retail sales figures confirmed that clothing stores were one of the main drivers of growth, with other areas including food and 'other stores'.