Shoppers cut back in heavy April showers
BRITISH retail sales dropped sharply in April thanks to weak consumer confidence combined with the wet weather, industry figures showed yesterday.
Total sales were down one per cent on April 2011, the first year-on-year fall since May of last year.
Looking only at store space that existed in both April 2011 and April 2012, like-for-like sales plunged 3.3 per cent – the third fall in the first four months of the year.
Clothing sales fell the most sharply on the year as wet weather stopped shoppers restocking their summer wardrobes, while handbags and jewellery sales benefited from hard-pressed consumers accessorising current outfits instead of buying new ones.
The poor weather also pushed footwear sales down at the fastest pace since January 2008, while squeezed consumers turned to cheaper winter foods through the month.
However, sales of home accessories and textiles increased, as consumers spent more time indoors and chose to improve their properties.
“The wettest April since records began has put a dampener on retailers’ fortunes – consumer interest in summer fashions and outdoor products was washed away by constant downpours,” said BRC boss Stephen Robertson.
“Consumers, struggling to balance their household budgets, remain reluctant to spend unless they really have to and the weakening economy is likely to mean people are even more cautious about their finances.”