British consumers’ enthusiasm for shopping ebbed last month as post-Christmas clearance sales came to an end – and demand for homes has slipped even further, according to separate surveys to be released on Tuesday.

According to the British Retail Consortium survey, retail sales rose by just 0.1 per cent year-on-year, suggesting that the pick-up in demand seen in January was a “discount-driven blip”, according to Stephen Robertson, director general.