7th May 2024 04:45
(Alliance News) - UK retail sales were disappointing in April, with poor weather dampening spending, numbers from the British Retail Consortium showed Tuesday.
According to the latest BRC-KPMG tracker, UK total retail sales fell by 4.0% annually in April, compared to growth of 5.1% in April 2023.
This was below the three-month average growth of 0.5% and the 12-month average growth of 2.2%.
When correcting for the distortion created by the earlier timing of Easter, the average growth for March and April together was 0.2%.
"This year, the run-up to Easter was in March, while last year the run-up was in April. This calendar change distorts the year on year sales comparisons – with results artificially higher in March and lower in April. Therefore, we have also provided a combined March and April Total sales figure, cancelling out this distortion," BRC explained.
Food sales increased 4.4% year on year over the three months to April, against a growth of 9.8% in April 2023.
Non-Food sales decreased 2.8% year on year over the three-months to April, against a growth of 1.2% in April 2023.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Dismal weather and disappointing sales led to a depressing start to Spring for retailers, even accounting for the change in timing of Easter. People delayed typical Spring purchases despite retailers' attempts to entice customers with heavy discounts. A dull, wet April dampened sales growth for clothing and footwear, especially outdoor sportswear, as well as DIY and garden furniture. Promotions in computing did boost sales as many sought to upgrade their tech a few years post the pandemic surge in tech sales. Many retailers are hoping for brighter sales over the summer months as social events ramp up, and consumer confidence could improve with a potential cut in interest rates."
By Sophie Rose, Alliance News senior reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2024 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.