UK retail sales contracted sharply in April, reinforcing signs that household demand is weakening as higher living costs and economic uncertainty continue weighing on consumers. Retail sales volumes fell -1.3% mom, much worse than expectations for a -0.6% decline, reversing part of March’s 0.6% rebound and following February’s -0.8% fall.
The weakness was concentrated in discretionary spending categories. Retail sales excluding automotive fuel fell -0.4% mom, with both clothing and non-store retailers reporting weaker activity. Retailers cited variable weather conditions and softer consumer demand as key drags during the month.
Despite the weak monthly reading, broader trend measures remained somewhat more stable. In the three months to April, retail sales volumes rose 0.5% compared with the prior three-month period and were 1.1% higher than a year earlier.
| Indicator | Latest |
|---|---|
| Retail Sales Volume (mom) | -1.3% |
| Retail Sales ex-Auto Fuel (mom) | -0.4% |
| Retail Sales Volume (yoy) | 0.0% |
| 3-Month vs Previous 3-Months | 0.5% |
| 3-Month vs Year Ago | 1.1% |
