Britain Retail Sales Fall 1.3% in April

Retail sales in Great Britain fell 1.3% in April from the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday, as weaker clothing purchases, lower fuel sales and softer demand at online retailers pulled down spending after a stronger March.

The ONS said sales volumes excluding automotive fuel declined 0.4% in April. The monthly drop followed a revised 0.6% rise in March and came as retailers reported that variable weather, lower demand and greater price sensitivity weighed on shoppers. Clothing stores saw sales volumes fall 2.4% on the month, while non-store retailers, which are mostly online businesses, also posted a decline.

Fuel sales were a major drag. Automotive fuel volumes fell 10.2% in April, the sharpest monthly drop since November 2020, after retailers said motorists appeared to be making fewer journeys and delaying refueling as prices rose. That followed a strong March, when many drivers stocked up amid higher prices and concern over the conflict in the Middle East.

Despite the monthly setback, retail sales volumes rose 0.5% in the three months to April compared with the three months to January. The ONS said that reflected gains at non-food stores and non-store retailers. Cosmetics and toiletries shops recorded their fourth straight monthly increase over the three-month period, while computer and telecoms retailers continued to benefit from product releases in March.

Online spending also increased over the quarter. The amount spent online rose 2.2% in the three months to April compared with the previous three months and was 9.3% higher than a year earlier. But online sales values fell 2.3% in April alone, and the share of total sales made online slipped to 28.1% from 28.7% in March.

The ONS said total retail sales volumes, including fuel, were flat over the year to April. Compared with February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic, volumes were still 1.7% lower.

The reporting period for April covered April 5 to May 2 and included Easter Monday but not Good Friday, which fell into the March release this year. The ONS said its seasonal adjustment accounts for that shift.

The data point to a consumer sector that remains uneven: households are still spending enough to lift three-month sales slightly, but monthly demand weakened across several categories that depend on discretionary purchases, including clothing and some online retail channels.