Retail sales volumes grew sharply in April 2021 with a monthly increase of +9.2%, reflecting the effect of the easing of coronavirus restrictions including the reopening of all non-essential retail from 12th April in England and Wales, and from 26th April in Scotland, reports the ONS.
Non-food stores provided the largest contribution to the monthly growth in April 2021 sales volumes, aided by strong increases of +69.4% and +25.3% in clothing stores and other non-food stores respectively.
Retail sales volumes were +42.4% higher than in April 2020, and +10.6% higher than February 2020.
All retail sectors reported a fall in their proportions of online sales as physical stores reopened – the total proportion of sales online decreased to 30% in April, down from 34.7% in March 2021.
Against lockdown comparisons, furniture and lighting store sales saw a +402% increase YoY.
Commenting on today's figures, Karen Johnson, head of retail & wholesale at Barclays Corporate Banking, says: “How do we compare life now to the situation we found ourselves in just 12 months ago? The fortunes of UK retailers have twisted and turned dramatically over the last year, and many will be hoping that lockdowns and non-essential store closures are a thing of the past.
“There have already been a number of encouraging signs which show a clear increase in the purchasing of non-essentials versus last year, although the panic buying seen during the first lockdown means spending on groceries and other essentials has actually slowed down compared to 2020.
“Working from home remains the norm for many, and in April we saw the continuation of a trend towards localised shopping habits. As consumers spend more time in around their homes, the focus of purchasing behaviour has moved away from large cities and instead onto local towns. This development, coupled with an expected plateau in online spending post-lockdown, will play a key role in shaping the future of UK retail over the months and years ahead.”
