LONDON (MNI) – UK retailers saw continued improvement in underlying
sales through April, according to the Confederation of British
Industry’s latest distributive trades survey.
The survey showed a net balance of +16% of retailers saying that
the 3-month moving average of sales volumes growth is improving compared
with a balance of +9% in March.
This is the strongest such balance since August 2007 and suggests
that the improvement in retail demand is being sustained, even though
the monthly sales volumes balance was unchanged on the month at +13.
The expected sales volume balance for May showed a net balance of
+17, up from +14 for April when retailers were asked in March.
Andy Clarke, chief operating officer Asda and Chairman of the CBI’s
Distributive Trades Panel said:
“Spring has landed on the High Street with some modest but
welcome sales growth and that improvement is expected to carry on into
early May. Grocers and shoe shops fared reasonably well in April and
the lift in the housing market seems to have fed through to sales of
white goods and furniture.”
The CBI conducted the survey between Mar 24 and Apr 14.
–London newsroom: 00 44 20 7634 1655; email:
drobinso@marketnews.com/dthomas@marketnews.com
[TOPICS: M$B$$$,M$BDS$,M$$FI$,MT$$$$,MABDS$]]
