Total retail sales grew steadily by 5.1% in April, according to a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The rise matches the average growth rate in the three months to April and is a significant improvement on last year’s total retail sales, which fell by 0.3% in the three months to April 2022.
However, while food sales increased by 9.8% and non-food sales rose by 1.2%, sales volumes fell across both categories as high inflation prompted consumers to purchase fewer goods.
Meanwhile, eCommerce businesses saw a less profitable month as online non-food sales decreased by 3.6%.
The proportion of non-food items bought online also fell from 38.8% to 37.3% in the year to April.
Clothing sales also underperformed, with poor weather conditions leaving customers “thinking twice” before buying a summer wardrobe, the BRC said.
According to BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson, retailers hope sales will improve over the summer as inflation eases and consumer confidence increases. She continued:
“Retailers continue to face huge cost pressures, with many reporting lower profits this year as a result.
“The Government needs to ensure that any additional regulatory cost burdens are kept to a minimum as these add to inflation.”
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