Retail sales fall in April

The BRC said the value of sales last month was 2.3 per cent lower than a year ago, when measured on a like-for-like basis. That was the steepest fall since December 2008, when the economy was in recession.

But the annual comparison was skewed by the timing of the four-day Easter holiday as only the second half of the holiday fell in April in 2010 compared to all four days in April 2009.

The impact of any Easter shopping was more visible in the BRC's March survey, the strongest reading in a year, after like-for-like sales rose by an annual 4.4 per cent.

Total sales, which include new floorspace, were 0.2 per cent down in April, also the biggest fall since December 2008.

"The timing of the majority of Easter spending, falling into last month (this year) but into April last year, has deflated this month's figures," said Helen Dickinson, head of retail at accountants KPMG, which sponsors the survey.

"However even taking this into account, the general malaise of the consumer is evident and looks likely to remain for a while at least, given the uncertain political and economic environment," she added.

The survey showed sales of clothing and electrical goods slowed, while furniture sales fell at their sharpest rate since March 2009.