Sales up at sports shops and jewellers

RETAIL sales rose last month in a boost for beleaguered high street stores.

Sales were up by a better than expected 0.5 per cent, having fallen by 1.2 per cent the month before, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The figures offer further evidence that consumers remain resilient despite high inflation and surging interest rates.

They point to a buoyant spring for the high street, including jewellers, sports shops and department stores. Sales for the three months to April were up by 0. per cent on the previous three months – the biggest such increase since August 2021.

Supermarkets were among the retailers whose sales volumes grew last month but this was partly offset by falling fuel sales.

Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, of Deloitte, said: ‘The economic environment remains incredibly tough for many but consumer confidence is slowly improving.’