Retail sales shoot up in sunniest spring on record
Retail sales rose at their fastest rate for more than a year after warm weather drove Brits to bring forward summer purchases.
Total retail sales in the UK increased by seven per cent year on year in April after declining of four per cent in the same month last year, according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium.
Food sales rose 8.2 per cent after falling 1.6 per cent last April, while non-food sales – including clothes, toys and DIY goods – rose 6.1 per cent versus a drop of six per cent last year.
The proportion of non-food items bought online decreased to 36.4 per cent in April from 36.5 per cent in April 2024, a drop attributed to warm weather encouraging Brits outside and onto the high street.
“The sunniest April on record brought with it a boost to retail sales,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said.
“While the stronger performance was partially a result of Easter falling in April this year, the sunshine prompted strong consumer spending across the board,” she added.
Retailers prep for a bumper spring
Next became the first major retailer to report the sales boost from the warm weather last week, with retail sales in the UK up 5.2 per cent in the first quarter.
The FTSE100 giant said “much of the over-performance” in the first quarter was the result of warmer weather, which “benefited the sale of summer-weight clothing”.
“In our experience, shops benefit disproportionately from the favourable weather,” Next said.
Peel Hunt analysts said they expected the weather to boost retailers B&Q and Dunelm, with a “clear read-across” for the entire sector. Both are due to report results later in the spring.
UK head of consumer, retail & leisure at KPMG, Linda Ellett, said that despite growing retail sales consumers say they are “still taking steps to manage their household budgets”.
“Retailers will need to focus on how they can continue to unlock spending over the coming months to keep the growth going – including capitalising on purchases related to strong summer holiday demand,” Ellett added.