UK fashion sales weaken in April as consumer confidence falls

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show UK non-food retail sales declined in April as weak consumer confidence impacted discretionary spending.

According to the BRC, total UK retail sales fell 3 percent year-on-year in the four weeks to May 2, while non-food sales declined 3.3 percent. In-store non-food sales dropped 4 percent and online non-food sales were down 2.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

The organisation said consumer caution increased amid concerns around rising living costs and ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Retail categories linked to discretionary spending were among the weakest performers during the month.

Despite the slowdown, online penetration for non-food retail increased slightly to 37.9 percent, up from 37.4 percent a year earlier.

The BRC noted that the timing of Easter impacted some year-on-year comparisons. When March and April are combined, total UK retail sales increased 1.5 percent compared to the same two-month period in 2025.

The council's chief executive Helen Dickinson said weak consumer confidence contributed to lower spending in April, and added that uncertainty around household finances and summer holiday spending had affected demand across retail categories.

She added: “Global events might be out of government’s hands, but costs imposed at home are not. Ministers must act now to curb the impact on consumers from soaring costs.”