UK retail sales up 1.2% in April, beating expectations

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Retail sales volume in the UK rose 1.2% in April on a monthly basis, above forecasts, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Friday.

The rise exceeded the market estimates of a 0.3% jump and followed a downwardly revised 0.1% rise in the previous month.

Food store sales volumes grew strongly in April 2025, which retailers attributed to the good weather, the department said.

Food stores sales rose by 3.9%, mostly recovering from falls in February and March 2025.

"Non-food stores sales volumes (the total of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores) fell by 0.7% over the month. This was because of falls in clothing stores and other non-food stores (such as sports and games retailers, and second-hand goods stores)," it said.

Retail sales volumes also rose 5% on an annual basis in April, exceeding estimates of a 4.5% rise.