UK retail sales dampened as shoppers stay home in wet weather

High street shops, pubs and restaurants lose out as Britons relax on the sofa in February

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.