Retail sales hold up better than expected
Retail sales in the UK rose by 0.3% in April against a 0.5% increase in March against analyst's expectations of just a 0.2% rise. This is a welcome piece of good news for the incoming UK government at a time when the economy is struggling to make headway. Sales increased by 1.8% compared to April last year and the quarterly increase in retail activity has rebounded from -2% to 0.2% which is again welcome news for the government.
It would seem that an increase in demand for fashion related items was behind the rise in April sales which bodes well for the future as we approach the summer months. While there would appear to be a general increase in retail activity within the UK it is interesting to see that leading retail companies are reporting varying figures. It will be interesting to see how these trends extend during the remaining part of 2010 and whether consumer confidence continues to build.
There are fears that forthcoming tax increases by the UK government could dampen consumer demand and could derail what is already seen by many as a fragile recovery. While the last two years have been volatile to say the least, we are not out of the woods yet.
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