Cold weather affects M&S clothing sales

The delay of spring weather has had many retailers

into a clinch this season and now Marks and Spencer is also feeling the pinch.

The unseasonably cold weather, which has seen snow across large parts of the UK and Europe into April has led to a drop in clothing sales.

M&S is expected to publish its fourth quarter sales figures this week, however analysts are saying like-for-like clothing sales could be down by as much as 6 percent.

If correct, it would be retailer's worst figures for four years. Analysts at Nomura, who accurately forecast the company's slump in Christmas clothing sales, have predicted that like-for-like sales in general merchandise sales will fall 6 percent despite a 3.5 percent rise in like-for-like food sales, a stronger performance than the wider grocery industry.