Retail sales weakened by more than expected in March as consumers reined in spending in response to spiralling living costs.
Today’s figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that retail sales fell 1.4% last month, compared with City expectations for a 0.3% decline.
The ONS said that online sales were hit particularly hard due to lower levels of discretionary spending, while it also reported lower fuel sales as motorists cut back on journeys due to rising forecourt prices.
