Retail sales climbed in March, but many categories remained in decline as grocery powered the increase.
Total sales advanced 8.3% in March versus the same period in 2019, the BRC-KPMG Sales Monitor showed. The data has been compared with that from two years ago in order to enable more meaningful analysis.
Like-for-like sales rose 8.4% on the same basis, but of the 13 categories tracked, eight “remained in significant decline”.
The BRC reported: “The pandemic has concentrated spend on home-centric categories such as food, computing and home appliances.”
Key categories such as fashion and beauty “remain in double-digit decline compared to pre-pandemic levels”.
Over the three months to March on a two-year basis, in-store sales of non-food products fell 44% in total and 44% on a like-for-like basis. Online non-food sales rose 94% on a two-year basis.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “As we pass the one-year anniversary of the first lockdown, the retail industry has generally remained strong, despite numerous challenges.”
She said the sales rise was “largely driven” by grocery spending and that, “with many stores still closed, online purchases reached the highest on record, particularly for TVs, gaming consoles and laptops”.
Dickinson observed: “Despite some product ranges trading well, the next six months will be make or break for many retailers. Over the past three lockdowns, non-food retail stores have lost £30bn, so many retailers will be relying on growing consumer confidence, and a return to town and city centres to fuel their recovery.
“Retail businesses have spent hundreds of millions making their stores Covid-secure, so customers can feel safe and confident whilst shopping.”
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