Like-for-likes rise 3.9 per cent
Like-for-like sales in March rose 3.9 per cent, compared to a fall of 1.4 per cent last year, bolstered by the sun and the timing of Easter, which fell in April last year, revealed the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

KPMG head of retail Helen Dickinson said the numbers 'do highlight a continued level of resilience in the market'.

Food sales strengthened after dipping in February following January's six-month high. Clothing and footwear benefited from the warm spring weather, which also spurred outdoor, DIY and gardening sales. However, home and leisure was very mixed with some retailers remaining discount-driven.

BRC director-general Kevin Hawkins said: 'While these results are obviously welcome, they must be set against the poor sales performance we reported a year ago. Discounting and competition generally show no signs of easing off and many consumers are increasingly wary of making big purchases. However, this month's results will be comparable with those of April last year, so we will get a much better idea of the real growth rate in retail sales when we next report.'

Seymour Pierce analyst Richard Ratner said: 'A better than expected outcome. Overall sales increased 6.2 per cent, representing a like-for-like increase of 3.9 per cent. One of the reasons for this performance was the weak comparison for last year, down 1.4 per cent like-for-like, due to the timing of Easter. We also believe that Easter has been pretty good, albeit mixed. Still favour food and clothing, but worry about big ticket as the year progresses.'

For the three months to March, like-for-like sales rose 3.5 per cent, compared to a 3 per cent rise for the three months to February. Total sales climbed 5.7 per cent from January to March, compared to a 5 per cent rise in the three months to February.

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