Sun, Shopping And Sales

NOTHING improves your mood like a bit of good weather, particularly if you are a retailer.

According to figures from the British Retail Consortium, the good weather in March helped to boost sales by 3.9% compared to March 2006.

Clothing, DIY and gardening equipment (that will be used once before being dumped in the shed) drove the sales rise.

Food sales also strengthened in March although according to BRC director Kevin Hawkins, “Discounting and competition generally show no signs of easing off and many consumers are increasingly wary of making big purchases”.

While Global Insight economist Howard Archer warns that the growth in retail sales could make a rise in interest rates more likely in May.

Make debt while the sun shines, as the saying goes…

Anorak

Posted: 11th, April 2007 | In: Money Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink