Retail Sales Declined In March

The latest ONS data has revealed a decline in retail sales in March.

Main points:

• Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.9% in March 2023, following a rise of 1.1% in February 2023 (revised from a rise of 1.2%).

• Looking at the broader picture, sales volumes rose by 0.6% in the three months to March 2023 when compared with the previous three months; the first three-month on three-month rise since August 2021.

• Non-food stores sales volumes (total of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores) fell by 1.3% in March 2023, following a rise of 2.4% in February, with feedback from retailers that poor weather conditions throughout most of March affected sales.

• Within non-food stores, department stores and clothing stores sales volumes fell by 3.2% and 1.7% over the month.

• Household goods stores sales volumes rose by 0.1% in March 2023, following a fall of 1.1% in February 2023.
  
  

• Other non-food stores, such as jewellery stores and garden centres, fell by 0.6% in March 2023. This follows strong growth in February 2023 (2.9%) because of second-hand goods stores.

• Food store sales volumes fell by 0.7% in March 2023, following a rise of 0.6% in February 2023.

• Non-store retailing (predominantly online retailers) sales volumes fell by 0.8% in March 2023, following a rise of 0.3% in February 2023.

• Online spending values rose by 0.8% in March 2023, because of monthly increases across all industries except other non-food stores.

• The value of online spending rose, while the value of retail sales as a whole fell; so the proportion of online sales rose to 25.8% in March 2023, from 25.4% in February 2023. The proportion of retail sales online has remained broadly consistent at around 26% since May 2022.

• The proportion of retail sales taking place online remains above the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels (19.8% in February 2020).

• Automotive fuel sales volumes rose by 0.2% in March 2023, following a fall of 1.2% in February 2023; sales remain 8.5% below their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) February 2020 levels.

Source : ONS

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