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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Sarah Butler

UK retail sales dampened as shoppers stay home in wet weather

A closed branch of The Body Shop in London
The Body Shop collapsed into administration in February amid tough conditions on the high street. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Soggy February weather and continued cost of living pressures put a dampener on retail sales last month, with growth slowing to just over 1% as many households saved cash by snuggling up on the sofa.

Sales of non-food items slumped by 2.5% in the three months to February – led by declining demand for footwear, household appliances, furniture and clothing – amid weak consumer confidence, according to the latest retail sales monitor from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the advisory firm KPMG.

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