Spring starts well for mid-sized retailers as transactions jump
MID-SIZED retailers recorded a strong sales performance last month, with a 3.2 per cent bump from February making it the best March for four years, according to accountancy firm BDO.
The firm’s national head of retail, Don Williams, said that figures for retail traffic seemed to have detached from sales.
“Footfall is no longer as reliable an indicator as it used to be. Quality retailers offering consumers what they want – great products, great customer service, omni-channel buying options and flexible delivery – are able to protect both volumes and margins, despite fewer people physically visiting stores.”
The BDO high street sales tracker indicates that spending on fashion led the expansion in sales last month, with transactions rising by 4.3 per cent.
However, the year’s performance in general is less impressive: like-for-like sales have still dropped by 0.9 per cent since March 2013, while fashion items alone have fallen by 3.4 per cent in the same period.