UK clothing and shoe sales suffer biggest slump since 1991

Latest data shows cash spent on clothing and shoes has dropped dramatically as people splurge instead on eating out and leisure pursuits

Britain's retailers have suffered the biggest fall in spending on clothes and shoes for 25 years, as consumers increasingly allocate their spare cash to leisure activities and eating out instead.

According to official figures, clothing and shoe shop sales fell 3.4% in February, which was the sixth consecutive month of decline, and marked the longest run of falling sales since October 1991.

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