Shoppers have not followed traditional retail patterns during lockdownThe steepest fall in clothing prices in 12 years drove down inflation unexpectedly last month as lockdown put an end to retailers’ normal post-winter sale plans. The consumer prices index dropped to 0.4 per cent in February from 0.7 per cent in January, below forecasts for 0.8 per cent, the Office for National Statistics said. SponsoredClothing and footwear prices would normally rise sharply after the winter sales ended but, with shops shut again, they fell 1.5 per cent between January and February. For the year to February, prices plunged 5.6 per cent, the largest decline since the recession in 2009. Traditional seasonal patterns, of winter and summer sales

Source: The Times March 24, 2021 09:00 UTC