London retail sales rise
May 18 2009
Retail sales in London rose in April compared to last year, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and advisory company KPMG.
Figures in the Retail Sales Monitor show shops in the capital saw a 5.4 per cent rise in sales, compared to a 4.6 per cent increase across the UK as a whole.
Stephen Robertson, director general at the BRC, says: 'It was another month of solid sales results for London with other parts of the UK playing catch-up.'
The organisation says boosted footfall came from the warm weather and favourable exchange rates for overseas visitors.
This same trend was seen in March, when central London experienced a 5.1 per cent rise, compared to the UK average of a 1.2 per cent fall.
Particular areas which performed well in April include clothing, footwear and outdoor leisure items, although larger purchases like furniture and homewares did not see the same boost.
However, the results follow research from The Open University Business School which found that small firms in London are being affected by the economic downturn more than their northern counterparts.
According to the survey of companies, sales in small London businesses are being hardest hit, while medium-sized companies are faring better.
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