Retail sales marginally increase in March, weather boosts clothing category

New figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown a marginal increase in UK retail sales for the month of March, with clothing and footwear stores in particular welcoming a strong period.

Overall volumes rose 0.4 percent during the month on the back of a 0.7 percent increase in February. Over the year, meanwhile, sales volumes were up by 2.6 percent to March, yet still remained below pre-covid levels, dropping 0.3 percent compared to February 2020.

Out of all categories, clothing and footwear stores had the strongest month, reporting an almost 4 percent uptick in sales. Good weather was attributed to the increase in sales, helping to outweigh the lower 1.7 percent monthly rise seen among all non-food stores.

In a statement to FashionUnited responding to the data, head of retail at RSM UK, Jacqui Baker, noted that sales volumes rose for the third consecutive month, reaching their highest level since 2022. Baker continued: “The first quarter of 2025 suggests consumer spending is slowly starting to return, which should provide some reason for optimism in the retail sector.”

Looking ahead, Baker expressed caution over “rising employment costs and uncertainty surrounding tariffs”, which could impact purchasing decisions and “place further pressure on already squeezed margins”.