April showers dampens retail sales

Wet weather dampened retail spending last month more than expected as the amount of items purchased dropped by 2.3% in April.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that this comes as retail sale fell 0.2% in March, some economists were expecting a decline of 0.6% in the month.

Sales volumes fell in many sectors, clothing, sports, toy stores and game and furniture stores was hit the hardest due to the poor weather.

The ONS said that non-food shops saw their sales plummet 4.1% in April which was the largest fall since January 2021.

Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte, said: “April’s retail sales were more disappointing than expected, once again being dampened by wet weather, deterring shoppers from the high street and impacting the sale of seasonal items.

“Though consumer confidence continues to rise, many remain apprehensive and are not yet loosening their purse strings, especially on non-essential items and goods such as clothing and footwear.

“Consumers are focused on value, with the likes of own-label food remaining resilient.

“Overall, this is a clear sign that, despite inflation easing, retailers’ road to recovery will require them to continue to invest into product ranges that target consumers of all budgets.”