UK April retail sales hit by wet weather, early Easter - BRC

UK total retail sales fell 4% year on year in the April as wet spring weather deterred shoppers, despite businesses offering hefty discounts in an attempt to entice customers into stores, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

The rain dampened sales growth for clothing and footwear, especially outdoor sportswear, as well as DIY and garden furniture, the BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for the four weeks to April 27 said. The early timing of the Easter break also had an impact, it added.

However, promotions in computing boosted sales as customers sought to upgrade their technology after a boom in purchases during the Covid-19 pandemic as people. There was also a small rise in online penetration - the proportion of non-food internet purchases - to 36.2% in April from 36.1% a year earlier.

The April figure compares with growth of 5.1% in April 2023 and was below the three-month average growth of 0.5% and the 12-month average of 2.2%.

When correcting for the distortion created by the earlier timing of Easter this year, average growth for March and April together was +0.2%, the survey added. This year, the run-up to Easter was in March, while last year the run-up was in April - with results artificially higher in March and lower in April.

Food sales rose 4.4% year on year over the three month period to April 27, below the 12-month average growth of 6.7%. Non-food sales decreased 2.8%, which was steeper than the 12-month average decline of 1.5%.

“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," said BRC boss Helen Dickinson.

“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.”

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com