Clothes sales soared by 70% compared to March
A sharp rise in spending on clothes drove retail sales in April, as non-essential shops reopened across the country.
Retail sales rose by 9.2% last month, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), while clothes sales soared by 70% compared to March.
While online sales dipped, overall sales increased by more than 10% compared to the levels seen before the pandemic.
Danni Hewson, financial analyst at AJ Bell, commented on April 2021 retail sales data from the Office for National Statistics:
“The easing of lockdown has been just the excuse the Great British public needed to head out and buy a new outfit or two. The latest retail sales figures show the lifting of restrictions on non-essential retail has been just the tonic for ailing businesses and that the much-discussed pent up demand is real,” said Hewson.
Petrol sales were also given a boost as workers began to drift back into offices and the opportunity for socialising and indulging was presented.
“But a more accurate picture emerges when we compare this month’s sales figures with those of April 2019. In that period online retailers have enjoyed the largest growth, up a whopping 56% and fuel sales are 13.3% down compared with two years ago, demonstrating that homeworking is still a big part of our working lives,” Hewson added.
“Overall, retail sales were considerably above their pre-pandemic levels (10.6%) but novelty and savings will undoubtedly have played a part in this month’s rise and this trajectory is unlikely to continue as consumers get more opportunities to spend their cash elsewhere.”
