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British retail sales remained unexpectedly stagnant in March as contraction in food and online shopping offset growth at clothing stores and petrol stations.
The amount of goods purchased in Britain remained unchanged between February and March after a revised increase of 0.1% from the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday.
The zero growth was lower than the 0.3% expansion forecast by economists polled by Reuters.
In the three months to March, retail sales rose 1.9% compared to the previous three months, recovering from a poor end to 2023.
Commenting on the data, ONS senior statistician Heather Bovill said: “Retail sales saw no growth in March. Hardware stores, furniture stores, gas stations and clothing stores all saw increased sales.
“However, these gains were offset by declines in food and department store sales, where retailers say higher prices have hit trading.”
This is a developing story