According to a British Retail Consortium (BRC) survey released on Tuesday, the growth of retail sales in April remained stable, but high inflation caused customers to

get less for their money, and the unpredictable weather discouraged many from buying summer clothing.

The survey found that spending at BRC member stores increased by 5.1% YoY last month, the same as in March, and well above the 0.3% fall a year earlier. However, the figures are not adjusted for inflation, so the sales rise masked a considerable drop in volumes. BRC's Chief Executive, Helen Dickinson, stated that "while retail sales grew in April, overall inflation meant volumes were down for both food and non-food as customers continued to adjust spending habits."

Clothing sales underperformed as well, as the poor weather left customers thinking twice before buying their summer wardrobe.

Despite high inflation, the Bank of England has predicted that price rises will slow down by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Barclays revealed that consumer spending on payment cards rose by 4.3% YoY in April, but rising costs have continued to put pressure on household finances. Photo by Dean Molyneaux, Wikimedia commons.