Wet weather hits retail sales in April

(Sharecast News) - Retail sales fell sharply in April, official data showed on Friday, compounding a revised fall a month earlier. According to the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes fell by 2.3% last month, following a 0.2% decline in March. That was revised down from its previous estimate of 0.0%.

The ONS attributed the slide to the poor weather, as heavy, persistent rain kept shoppers at home. It said volumes had fallen across most sectors, with clothing, sports equipment, games and toys and furniture stores doing badly.

In total, non-food store sales volumes fell by 4.1%.

In the three months to April, overall sales rose by 0.7% compared to the previous three months, following a weak December 2023.

In the year to April, however, sales were down 2.7%, and remain 3.8% below pre-pandemic levels.

The data bucks more upbeat economic data released recently, including an uptick in consumer confidence, inflation returning to 2.3% and the UK leaving recession following faster-than-expected growth of 0.6%.