UK retailers' sales hit by bad weather and early Easter

British Retail Consortium says like-for-like sales fell 0.7% from last year, raising fears that economic recovery is losing steam

British retailers saw sales drop last month as unsettled weather hit demand for clothes while takings at grocers were hurt by lower food prices and Easter closures, industry figures show.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said like-for-like sales fell 0.7% in March on a year earlier, the biggest drop since last August. Sales were flat on a year ago in total terms, which does not adjust for the effect of new store openings.