But spending on clothing was held down last month by the winter storms, the BRC (British Retail Consortium)-KPMG retail sales monitor said. The BRC-KPMG research said that in February, total retail sales crept up by 0.1% annually, while on a like-for-like basis sales decreased 0.4% compared with a year earlier. “Despite many indicators suggesting a rise in confidence among UK shoppers in recent months, this has failed to translate into higher retail sales. Consumer research from Barclaycard also found fears surrounding coronavirus led to nearly three in 10 (28%) avoiding the high street and other busy places. Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: “Storms, floods and fears about the spread of coronavirus have kept many Brits away from the high street this month.

Source: Irish Independent March 10, 2020 00:00 UTC