UK retail sales flatline as consumers cut back on food

Following 0.1% increase in February

UK retail sales volumes flatlined in March following a revised 0.1% increase in February, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS figures, published today (19 April), showed sales were "mixed" within retail, as fuel and non-food stores sales increased by 3.2% and 0.5%, respectively, over the month. This was offset by drops in both food stored and non-store retailers sales of 0.7% and 1.5%, respectively, the ONS noted. Department stores suffered the most in March, with sales volumes dropping 3.8%. UK inflation falls less than expected over March to 3.2% However, on a quarterly basis, sales volumes rose by 1.9% in the first quarter of the year from the last three months of 2023, which suffered low sales...