Growth in UK retail sales slowed last month as fears over the rising cost of living led to the sharpest drop in consumer confidence since the 2008 financial crisis, according to industry data.
The British Retail Consortium said total sales rose by 3.1% in March, compared with the same month a year earlier, significantly down on the 6.7% increase in February and 12-month average growth rate of 10.3%.
Total sales rose by 5.4% against the same month in 2019, but the BRC said this reflected the surge in prices due to inflation rather than a rush by consumers back to the shops after the easing of pandemic restrictions.
