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Retail sales rise

Apr 22 2010

March was a good month for retailers

The high street saw a welcome boost in sales last month.

The value of retail sales in March increased by 4.4 per cent compared with the same month last year, with sales up by 0.4 per cent compared with February, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, says: ‘There was a big boost to food sales caused by Easter falling a week earlier. Last year's very weak performance also helped to flatter the annual comparison.  

However, he adds that while customers are more confident, the political and economic uncertainty surrounding the election could be holding back spending.

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