Retail spending in April was dampened by wet weather, according to ONS

March’s data has been revised down from a previous estimate of 0.0 per cent.

Some economists had been expecting a softer decline of 0.6 per cent for the month.

The volume of sales fell across most sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores particularly dampened by poor weather reducing shopping trips.

The UK experienced storms and heavy rainfall during April, with several flood warnings issued across the country.

Across non-food shops, which the ONS says includes clothing and household stores, sales volumes tumbled by 4.1 per cent in April.

This was the joint steepest fall since January 2021.

Department stores and online retailers were among the few industries to see sales improve last month.

The value of sales also dropped sharply, according to the latest data, meaning price rises and more expensive purchases were not enough to boost the amount of cash retailers generated.

Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte, said: “April’s retail sales were more disappointing than expected, once again being dampened by wet weather, deterring shoppers from the high street and impacting the sale of seasonal items.

“Though consumer confidence continues to rise, many remain apprehensive and are not yet loosening their purse strings, especially on non-essential items and goods such as clothing and footwear.

“Consumers are focused on value, with the likes of own-label food remaining resilient.

“Overall, this is a clear sign that, despite inflation easing, retailers’ road to recovery will require them to continue to invest into product ranges that target consumers of all budgets.”

Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said: “There was nothing charming about the rainfall that soaked our high streets in April. People stuck close to home. There was little need to fill up the car if you weren’t taking any unnecessary journeys and sales at the pump suffered their biggest monthly fall since October 2021.”