Total LFL retail sales rose by +7.80% in the week ended 20th April 2025, which culminated in the Easter weekend, from a positive base of +0.55% for the same week last year, reports BDO.
Healthy store and non-store sales contributed to the week's result. Of particular note were strong store and non-store fashion sales, coupled with a double-digit increase in store homewares sales.
Total homewares LFL sales grew by +13.52% from a positive base of +5.25% for the same week last year, owing to a double-digit increase in store sales. Bricks and-mortar-sales increased +14.32% this week from a positive, if flat, base of +0.18% for the same week last year, while non-store sales returned their seventh negative result in the last 10 weeks, ticking down -1.88% – albeit from a postive base of +4.83% for the same week last year. Overall, both store and total homewares sales have been positive for seven of the last 10 weeks.
Total store LFL sales rose by +8.77%, shaking off a negative base of -3.47%, while non-store sales increased by +7.11% from a positive base of +2.06% for the same week last year.
That week, the UK experienced a week of mixed weather conditions, with significant regional variations. While London, Scotland and the East of England enjoyed relatively mild and dry conditions, the west of England and Wales experienced heavy rain, resulting in flooding in parts. The same period last year was drier and warmer, with more sunshine and less rainfall across the country.
Overall footfall climbed by +5.0% this week as results improved across all individual footfall categories, with shopping centres leading with +6.3%, followed by high streets with +4.6% and retail park traffic increasing +4.5%.
