UK Retail Sales Decline: BRC

(RTTNews) - UK retail sales declined in April due to the change in the timing of Easter and weaker consumer confidence, data from the British Retail Consortium showed Tuesday.

Total retail sales decreased 3.0 percent year-on-year in April, in contrast to the 7.0 percent increase in last April.

Food sales dropped 2.5 percent and non-food sales were down 3.3 percent in April.

However, taking March and April together, total retail sales increased 1.5 percent from the same period last year.

"April's sales fall was largely driven by the Easter shift, with food hit hardest," BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said.

She observed that big-ticket purchases dropped and uncertainty around summer holidays hit discretionary spending.

"With the World Cup coming, retailers hope it will provide a lift, and early signs show demand for TVs and sound systems picking up," said Dickinson.