According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), retail sales volumes in the UK experienced a 2.3% decline in April, with wet weather dissuading shoppers from making purchases, while economists surveyed by Reuters had anticipated a drop of 0.4%.
The dip in sales volumes was widespread across various sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores particularly affected by reduced foot traffic caused by inclement weather, as stated by the ONS.
A revision of the previous month’s data revealed that March’s retail sales figure, initially reported as unchanged, actually decreased by 0.2%, indicating a trend of subdued consumer spending in recent months.
