Bad weather and coronavirus fears hurt high street sales
Bad weather and coronavirus fears kept UK shoppers away from the high street last month, while streaming services and takeaway firms benefited from Brits staying at home.
Consumer spending was up 2.2 per cent year-on-year last month, driven by digital subscriptions and takeaways as Brits stayed home to avoid storms and coronavirus risks.
More than 28 per cent of shoppers avoided the high street and other busy places over fears of catching coronavirus. More than half delayed a shopping trip because of the bad weather, according to Barclaycard data.
Separate research by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG also found that UK retail sales declined 0.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis in February.
In February, spending on digital entertainment and subscriptions jumped 12.4 per cent, with takeaway and fast food sales up 8.7 per cent, the Barclaycard research showed. Restaurant spending fell 6.4 per cent in the month.
Barclaycard director Esme Harwood said: “Storms, floods and fears about the spread of coronavirus have kept many Brits away from the high street this month.
“Despite this, broader consumer spending has held up as people put their money towards enjoying a takeaway and digital subscriptions.”
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson added: “Clouds continued to hang over the retail industry, as storm Ciara, Dennis and Jorge took their toll on retail sales, particularly in fashion.
“Despite many indicators suggesting a rise in confidence among UK shoppers in recent months, this has failed to translate into higher retail sales.
“However, the end of last month saw a slight rise in spending on food and healthcare as a result of concerns around coronavirus.”