19/05/2005

Surprise increase in High Street sales

Retail sales increased by 0.5% between March and April, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has reported.

However, the ONS also reported that the annual growth rate for retail sales had fallen to the lowest level since April 2003.

The volume of retail sales between February and April remained at the same rate of the previous three-month period, at 0.2%.

There was 0.4% growth in sales volume in food stores over the three-month period, although there was a 0.2% decrease for non-food stores– the fifth consecutive decrease – which included decreases of 2.2% for household stores and 1% for “other” stores.

Clothing stores showed the highest growth at 2.3%, with non-store retailing coming in at 1.9%.

However, the surprise increase in sales came as many High Street retailers reported that the trading environment remained tough.

Health and beauty retailer Boots announced an 11% fall in profits today. Earlier this month, the British Retail Consortium reported that retail sales had fallen to their lowest level in a decade. Although the fall was slightly exaggerated because of the early Easter period this year, the figures were still the worst since BRC records began in 1995.

(KMcA/SP)

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