Washout for UK Retailers as Rain Spurs Sharp Drop in April Sales

The earlier date of Easter this year meant spending in the run-up to the holiday took place in March not April. Reuters
The earlier date of Easter this year meant spending in the run-up to the holiday took place in March not April. Reuters
TT

Washout for UK Retailers as Rain Spurs Sharp Drop in April Sales

The earlier date of Easter this year meant spending in the run-up to the holiday took place in March not April. Reuters
The earlier date of Easter this year meant spending in the run-up to the holiday took place in March not April. Reuters

British retail sales slid by far more than expected in April as rainy weather kept shoppers away, in more mixed economic news for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a national election, data showed on Friday.
Sales volumes dropped by 2.3% in April alone after a 0.2% fall in March, which was downwardly revised from a flat reading, the Office for National Statistics said.
The data was worse than any economist predicted in a Reuters poll, which had pointed to a drop of around 0.4% on the month.
Overall the data added to a mixed picture of economic data in recent days. Earlier on Friday, market research firm GfK said consumer confidence rose in May to its highest in nearly two-and-a-half years, but business surveys disappointed on Thursday.
Sunak, whose Conservatives are trailing badly in opinion polls ahead of the July 4 election, hopes to persuade voters that the economy has turned a corner after exiting recession that lasted through the second half of 2023.
"Sales volumes fell across most sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores doing badly as poor weather reduced footfall," the ONS said.
The stats agency was confident that it had adjusted the figures for the timing of the Easter holidays.
The earlier date of Easter this year meant spending in the run-up to the holiday took place in March not April, which affected British Retail Consortium data published earlier this month.
Analysts said there were reasons for optimism in future months.
"Retailers will be hoping that the better weather in May and the start of a summer of sport with the Euros, Wimbledon and the Olympics will provide a fillip for trading after a highly disappointing start to 2024," Lisa Hooker, leader of Industry for consumer markets at accountants PwC, said.
This month food and department store retailer Marks & Spencer reported a 58% rise in annual profit, while clothes and fashion chain Next sounded upbeat about its prospects after previously predicting a pickup in consumer sentiment.
Some home improvement stores however reported weakening demand.
Compared with a year ago, sales were 2.7% lower in April, the ONS said - again far short of the consensus for a 0.2% drop.
Surveys published by Barclays and the British Retail Consortium earlier this month showed consumers kept a tight rein on their spending in April.



Gold Subdued as Investors Await Further Data for Fed Rate Cues

Pieces of gold are seen in a mining area in the Madre de Dios department, in Peru's southeastern Amazon region, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP)
Pieces of gold are seen in a mining area in the Madre de Dios department, in Peru's southeastern Amazon region, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP)
TT

Gold Subdued as Investors Await Further Data for Fed Rate Cues

Pieces of gold are seen in a mining area in the Madre de Dios department, in Peru's southeastern Amazon region, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP)
Pieces of gold are seen in a mining area in the Madre de Dios department, in Peru's southeastern Amazon region, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP)

Gold prices eased on Monday as investors await further US economic data, while reports from last week showed that inflation was stabilizing, lifting expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this year.
Spot gold was down 0.5% at $2,321.11 per ounce, as of 0546 GMT, after rising more than 1% on Friday. US gold futures fell 0.6% to $2,335.30, Reuters reported.
"Today's small move is probably just a little bit of an unwind of the move that we saw on Friday," said Kyle Rodda, a financial market analyst at Capital.com, adding that in the long run fundamentals are very constructive for gold, but are data-dependent.
US retail sales data is due on Tuesday, weekly jobless claims on Thursday and flash PMIs on Friday. Several Fed officials are also scheduled to speak this week.
"With some signs of weakness emerging in the US economy, which could weaken the US dollar and also increase expectations of rate cuts going forward, gold is in a great position to take advantage," Rodda added.
Data released last week showed some weakening in price pressures in the US, suggesting that the labor market was losing momentum, keeping hopes alive for a September rate cut.
Traders are seeing a 68% probability of a cut in September, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, compared to 63% before the producer prices data on Thursday.
However, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on Sunday said it's a "reasonable prediction" that the US central bank will cut interest rates once this year, waiting until December to do it.
Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.
In other metals, spot silver fell 1.4% to $29.13 per ounce, platinum was down 0.5% at $953.30 and palladium lost 0.1% at $889.21.