UK retail gross sales: Clothing and DIY boosted via sunny climate

Retail gross sales rose for the 3rd month in a row in March as hotter climate helped spice up call for for pieces comparable to clothes and DIY items.

Sales volumes climbed 0.4% remaining month, the Office for National Statistics mentioned, with the light serving to quite a few sectors.

However, the ONS mentioned it used to be any other deficient month for meals gross sales, specifically at supermarkets.

Analysts additionally warned that the new run of gross sales will increase may well be about to come back to an finish after a separate survey steered client self assurance fell in April.

The newest retail gross sales figures have been more potent than anticipated, with analysts having predicted a 0.4% fall in March.

The build up remaining month signifies that around the January to March quarter, gross sales volumes have been up 1.6% when put next with the former quarter, which the ONS mentioned used to be the most important build up for just about 4 years.

The sunny climate in March helped gross sales at lawn centres, which reported “robust trading”, the ONS mentioned.

Sales at non-food shops rose via 1.7% over the month, however this used to be in part offset via meals retailer gross sales volumes falling 1.3%.

However, analysts warned that gross sales would possibly not develop as temporarily within the months forward after a survey steered there have been a pointy drop in client self assurance in April.

Market analysis company GfK mentioned self assurance fell this month to its lowest stage since November 2023, as other folks confronted emerging expenses and become extra pessimistic concerning the potentialities for the economic system.

“Consumers have not only been grappling with multiple April cost increases in the form of utilities, council tax, stamp duty, and road tax, but they are also hearing dire warnings of renewed high inflation on the back of the Trump tariffs,” mentioned Neil Bellamy, client insights director at GfK.

Alex Kerr, UK economist at Capital Economics, mentioned the gross sales efficiency in March “may be as bright as it gets”.

“March’s rise was largely due to unusually sunny weather and the drop in consumer confidence in April after the US tariff chaos suggests that households may start to spend more cautiously in the coming months,” he mentioned.