(ONS) The volume of retail sales in the UK increased by 1.4% in April, escaping the decline of 1.2% posted the previous month.
Food stores saw sales rise by 2.8% in April, as consumers spend more on alcohol and tobacco in supermarkets. Non-store retailing sales increased by 3.7%, with robust activity among clothing sellers.
The sales of automotive fuels increased by 1.4% in April, eradicating some losses following a decline of 4.2% in March. Non-food store sales declined by 0.6%.
Online retail store sales improved in April to reach 27.0% of the overall sales volume, higher than 25.9% in March. The sales were also higher than the pre-pandemic level of 19.9%.
Following the gains in April, the total UK retail sales are now 4.1% above the pre-pandemic levels. The sales volumes in the last three months to April are 0.3% below the previous quarter.
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