Rainfall washes out retail sales in March

UK retail sales fell by 0.9% between February and March with shops blaming wet weather for fewer shoppers.

Non-food retailers, in particular, said that rainfall impacted sales with department stores and clothing shops reporting a drop in volumes.

It was the sixth wettest March on record since 1836, according to the Met Office.

The retail figures were worse than expected and came after a rise in sales the month before.

Many supermarkets imposed limits on fresh produce such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers because of poor weather in areas including southern Spain and North Africa.

The ONS said that "26% of adults experienced shortages of essential food items that were needed on a regular basis" for much of March. That was an increase of the 18% who reported similar problems in February.

The amount of food that people bought last month is 3% below pre-pandemic levels in February 2020, which retailers blamed on the increased cost of living and higher prices.