(Alliance News) - UK retail sales growth accelerated last month, numbers on Tuesday showed, with an early Easter providing a "much-needed boost".
According to the British Retail Consortium and KPMG monitor, total sales increased 3.6% year-on-year in the five weeks until April 4. Growth picked up from the 1.1% rise seen in March 2025, and was also loftier than the 12-month average of 2.6%.
Food sales growth accelerated to 6.8% on-year, compared to 1.6% in March 2025. The figure was also above the 12-month average rise of 4.3%.
In-store non-food sales were up, growing 1.4% this March. In March 2025, they had edged up 0.1%. The 12-month average rise is 1.1%.
However, online non-food sales growth cooled to 0.1%, against a 1.8% growth in March of last year. The pace of growth was also shy of the 1.0% 12-month average.
The online penetration rate, the proportion of non-food items purchased online, decreased year-on-year to 37.6% from 38.1%. The latest figure was still above the 12-month average of 37.4%.
"An early Easter provided a much-needed boost to food sales as families came together over the long weekend. Non-food performance was more uneven: demand was robust for computers, toys, and homeware, but clothing and footwear continued to struggle. The disruption to international travel caused by the Middle East conflict also hit sales of travel-related goods," BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said.
"Retailers hope that the Middle East ceasefire will bring lasting stability, but the outlook remains uncertain. Damage to supply chains has already been done, and rising costs - from shipping and fertiliser to insurance and commodities - are piling yet more pressure onto already stretched retailers. Government must act decisively and boldly now to curb inflation by delaying domestic policies that would push prices even higher for shoppers."
Tuesday's data follows a report on Friday that showed UK retail footfall figures had failed to meet expectations. A BRC and Sensormatic report found that footfall was up by 2.4% from March 2025, which was less that expected given that Easter and the school holidays fell earlier in the calendar.
By Joseph Rodgers, Alliance News reporter
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