Wet weather washes away sales of footwear and clothing
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG comments on the latest Retail Sales figures from the Office for National Statistics
“April showers dampened consumer demand as continued bad weather saw footfall drop and consumers choose to stay away from the high street.
“The wet weather saw sales of clothing and footwear plummet, as consumers dug out their winter wardrobe once again. Such a dramatic fall in sales volumes has not been witnessed for over 20 years, which shows that consumers are easily dissuaded from parting with their hard earned cash.
“Retailers will be hoping that the forthcoming Jubilee celebrations will boost consumer confidence and encourage them to buy goods as they prepare to enjoy the nationwide festivities.
“But however welcome this boost will be, it will not provide the long term relief that retailers desperately crave. Trading conditions remain tough and we expect to see further declines in retail sales volumes and values as the year continues.”
