Retail sales in Great Britain dampened by poor weather
Retail sales in Great Britain fell more than expected in March as poor weather kept shoppers at home, ending two months of increased spending by consumers.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales volumes fell 0.9% last month as the wettest March in 40 years dampened shopper enthusiasm for visiting department stores, clothing shops and garden centres.
The decline, which followed increases of 1.1% and 0.9% in February and March respectively, was more than the 0.5% drop expected by economists.
Non-food stores sales fell by 1.3% year on year in March, after a strong 2.4% rise in February, as retailers lamented the impact of the weather on customer purchasing. The Met Office has said that last month was the sixth wettest March on record since 1836.
Sales volumes in department stores and clothing stores fell by 3.2% and 1.7% month on month, while sales dropped by 0.6% in jewellery stores and garden centres.
“Retail fell sharply in March as poor weather impacted on sales across almost all sectors,” said Darren Morgan, a director of economic statistics at the ONS. “In the latest month, department stores, clothing shops and garden centres experienced heavy declines as significant rainfall dampened enthusiasm for shopping.”
The ONS also recorded a 0.7% fall in sales at food stores, after a 0.6% increase in February, as consumers felt the pinch of soaring food prices.
Earlier this week the ONS reported that the price of food and nonalcoholic drinks accelerated by 19.1% in the year to March, fuelled by record growth in the price of bread and cereals and a sharp rise for biscuits and cakes, their fastest annual rate since 1977.
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