Sunny Weather Delivers Hot Retail Results
Posted by Louise Miles on
Throughout the month of April, UK retail sales values were up 5.2% on a like-for-like basis when compared with the previous year
With the abundance of celebrations including Easter and the royal wedding, food sales returned to growth after March 2011's distorted fall.
Stephen Robertson, director general for the British Retail Consortium, comments,"Easter and the Royal Wedding bank holiday provided a badly needed boost to many retailers during April. Food sales were strong leading up to Good Friday, suggesting most families prioritised their spending on the Easter celebrations. The hottest April since records began got people out spending on summer clothing and footwear.”
Helen Dickinson, head of retail for KPMG said, “As expected, the combination of a late Easter, dry and sunny weather, and the royal wedding feel good factor, has provided a very welcome respite in a challenging retail trading environment. Most sectors showed a significant uplift on the prior year and on recent months, with food, drink, clothing and footwear leading the way.
“The question now is whether this is indicative of a corner having been turned from the longer term downward trend in demand. Given the three-month average is still heading in a downward direction with 1.8% total and 0.1% sales growth for February to April compared to 2.7% total and 0.8% for the three months to January, this is unlikely to be case. Hence, the majority of retailers remain cautious about the outlook for the remainder of the year."
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