Quarterly Retail Sales Fall - Monthly Sales Rise

UK retail sales posted their biggest quarterly fall in seven years in March, as the prices of everyday goods continued to climb.

Sales were down 1.4% year-on-year on a quarterly basis, and down 1.8% compared with February 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In March 2017, the quantity bought in the retail industry is estimated to have increased by 1.7% compared with March 2016 and decreased by 1.8% compared with February 2017; decreases are seen across the four main store types.

Average store prices (including fuel) increased by 3.3% on the year, the largest growth since March 2012; the largest contribution came from petrol stations, where year-on-year average prices rose by 16.4%.

Online sales (excluding automotive fuel) increased year-on-year by 19.5% and by 0.5% on the month, accounting for approximately 15.5% of all retail spending.