Fashion held back by cold weather

Easter is usually a time for clothes shopping, when consumers are finally ready to embrace the new season collections, which in February appear too summery on the shop floor. Retail sales in March saw a slight rise over 2012, due mainly

to Easter falling early this year, however sales of fashion suffered.

The British Retail Consortium this week stated UK retail sales values were up 1.9 percent on a like-for-like basis from March 2012, when they had risen 1.3 percent on the preceding year. On a total basis, sales were up 3.7 percent, against a 3.6 percent rise in March 2012.

Online sales were up 6.6 percent compared with March 2012, when they had risen by 13.9 percent.

March figures encouraging
Helen Dickinson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said: "This is a positive result, which rounds off a first quarter of cautious optimism for many retailers. Easter fell in March this year but April in 2012, which helps this year's figures, especially for items which tend to sell well over the long weekend like food and homewares. But even if we strip out the data for the last week of March, performances are encouraging, considering the weather impact.

Demand for clothing and fashion coolt
"Snow and the prolonged cold were not ideal but not a disaster. They brought mixed fortunes for different categories. Demand was cool for new season clothing and footwear lines, resulting in a decline for both categories.

"2013 has got off to an encouraging start for the market as a whole. Retailers are now hoping for a boost in consumer confidence and the general mood to lift performance across all, not just some sectors, as we head into the second quarter. Getting a bit of sunshine, at long last, might help that along!"

David McCorquodale, Head of Retail, KPMG, said: "Some sectors were hit by the wintry weather. Clothing and footwear retailers had a dismal month as the cold weather froze sales, leaving Summer skirts and sandals on the shelves. This year-on-year fall is made worse by the strong sales seen last March when a veritable heatwave drove sales of Spring stock. Clothing and footwear retailers will be desperate for a change in weather in April.

Photo: Céline Summer '13