UK retail sales rise more than expected in April

UK retail sales rose more than expected in April, driven by sales of food and household goods, official data showed on Thursday.

Retail sales jumped 4.2% in April compared to the same month a year ago, beating estimates for a 2.5% rise and following the previous month's 3% year-on-year increase, the Office for National Statistics revealed.

On a month-on-month comparison, sales in April climbed 1.5%, more than the 0.7% gain that was forecast and compared to March's 0.7% fall.

The rebound in retail sales came despite a decline in clothing sales due to unseasonably cold weather deterring shoppers from picking up new season items.

"Clothing stores remain the main drag on growth in the retail sector, with sales hampered by unseasonal weather. However, both the volume and value of sales increased in April compared with March as lower prices boosted sales," said Melanie Richard, head of retail sales at the ONS.