UK retail sales soften - BDO

Retail sales dipped last week, industry research showed on Friday, after demand was curtailed by the bank holiday and mixed weather.

According to the last BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like sales fell 3.21% year-on-year in the week ending 7 May. Within that, in-store sales eased 1.7% while non-store sales were down 3.58%.

Sales of lifestyle goods rose by 7.85%, but homewares tumbled 14.39%, the fourteenth negative result so far this year. Fashion was also sharply lower, down 7.49%.

The weather was mixed last week, with warm and sunny conditions in some parts of the UK but sudden heavy thundery showers elsewhere. In contrast, in the same week a year previously the weather was overcast but mild.

Retail is heavily affected by the weather, with wet conditions keeping people at home and unseasonal temperatures often causing shoppers to delay updating wardrobes.

Overall, footfall was 3.1% higher last week when compared to the same seven-day period a year previously. The biggest gains were on high streets and shopping centres, which saw a 4.1% and 3.8% increase respectively. In contrast, footfall at retail parks – which benefited most during the pandemic – nudged just 0.2% higher.