Spring Sunshine Fuels 1.1% Rise in March UK Retail Sales

Warmer weather drove spending on gardening and DIY, but rising costs kept overall household budgets under pressure.

Image Source: Me!

“As Spring weather arrived, house and garden related purchases and gifts for Mother’s Day drove retail sales growth in March.” —Linda Ellett, UK Head of Consumer, KPMG Retail & Leisure

Spring sunshine arrived just in time for UK retailers last month. Despite significant economic headwinds and a challenging comparison to last year's early Easter, March retail sales managed a modest 1.1% climb, according to the latest BRC-KPMG survey.

What made the difference? In a word: weather.

The figures clearly show weather's direct impact on the consumer's wallet. As Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, noted, "The improving weather made for a particularly strong final week, with gardening and DIY equipment flying off the shelves."

Barclays data backed this up, showing a remarkable 13.4% surge in garden centre spending. The sunnier days also welcomed a boost to food and health, and beauty.

This wasn't just a background factor; it was arguably the savi…