Retail sales rose 1.1% by value and 0.3% by volume month on month in April, the ONS reported.

Year on year, the increases were 4.8% and 1.8% respectively.

Excluding automotive fuel, the month on month increases were 0.6% by value and 0.1% by volume. Year on year they were 4.2% and 3%.

By value, food stores’ sales edged up 0.9% year on year while at non-food shops the rise was 6.8%.

Within the non-food category, non-specialised stores’ sales rose 9.7%, followed by textiles, clothing and footwear at 9.4%. Household goods sales rose 2.5%.

Food volumes fell 1.7% year on year but non-food stores were up 5.9%.

The biggest volume rise in non-food was textiles, clothing and footwear which generated an uplift of 9.5%. Non-specialised stores rose 9.4% and household goods volumes were ahead by 0.9%.

Non-store sales – including online – rose 10.8% by value year on year and 10% by volume.

Prices in April are estimated to have risen by 2.8% compared to the same month in 2009, the ONS said.