March Retail Shopping Stumbles: A Real‑Life “Gone With the Wind” of Sales
Retailers put on their best shoes, but March’s fitting room wasn’t quite the runway it hoped for. According to BDO’s fresh High Street Sales Tracker, discretionary spending surged +1.8% – a tidy bump, but just enough to keep the negative‑base boat ‑2.2% anchored from the previous year.
In‑Store Shopping: A Sluggish 0.3%
- Compared to last year’s negative ‑1.8%, sales in physical stores spiked only +0.3%.
- The rise falls flat against inflation, meaning the real volume of purchases actually shrunk in March.
Where the Pain Is: Lifestyle & Homewares
- Homewares – down ‑2.8%
- Lifestyle – down ‑0.7%
When everyday bills (energy, water, council tax) climb, fingers stay tight on the wallet. Consumers, hampered by looming job cuts and tariff headaches, are missing the “buy now” button.
Expert Take: Sophie Michael on Retail’s Tightrope
“With uncertainty sky‑high, discounts don’t spell recovery,” Sophie says. “Retailers are juggling rising costs from new National Insurance norms, wage hikes, and business rate increases. It’s like trying to dance on a moving walkway while juggling hot potatoes.”
- Invest smartly in tech to trim operational costs.
- Rethink store footprints to focus on the right product mix.
- Prioritize initiatives that deliver the biggest payoff – the time is ripe for savvy, cash‑savvy moves.
Despite the financial maze, the key remains to stay agile and responsive to the market’s pulse. That’s the secret sauce for keeping sales rolling in spite of the storm.
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