UK high street sales weak as shoppers focus on buying essentials

Spurt in spending in April was result of late Easter not upward trend, say Barclaycard and British Retail Consortium

Barclaycard and the British Retail Consortium have warned that a spurt in spending in April was the result of the late timing of Easter and said the growing squeeze on incomes meant the underlying trend in high street activity was weak.

The two surveys found that rising inflation had resulted in consumers devoting an increasingly share of their pay packets on household essentials.

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