Spring sunshine boosts retail sales by 0.4% but UK 'not out of the woods yet'

Andrew Bailey warns of tariff impact

Retail sales volumes rose by 0.4% in March, beating expectations, as clothing and outdoor retailers reported that good weather bolstered sales.

This followed an increase of 0.7% in February and meant that "sales volumes came in better than expected", according to Wealth Club portfolio manager Charlie Huggins.  According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), sales volumes jumped by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2025 from Q4 2024, representing a 1.7% rise from the same period last year.  Trump tariffs spook Brits as UK consumer confidence sinks to record low Over the course of March, volumes for non-food stores and non-store retailers rose, while sales in food stores declined. Textile clothing and footwear...