The following is an unedited transcript of the news release from the Office for National Statistics.


In the three months to March the seasonally adjusted index for volume of retail sales rose by 2.0 per cent over the previous three months.

The volume of sales in predominantly food stores in the latest three months rose by 1.7 per cent over the previous three months. In predominantly nonfood stores sales were up 1.8 per cent. Between February and March the volume of sales fell by 0.4 per cent, reflecting falls in all sectors except household goods stores.

Volume seasonally adjusted

In January to March the seasonally adjusted volume of sales was 5.6 per cent higher than a year earlier; within this predominantly food stores was 2.9 per cent higher, predominantly non-food stores 6.2 per cent higher and the non-store retailing and repair sector was 18.5 per cent higher.

Value non-seasonally adjusted

Based on the non-seasonally adjusted data, the average weekly value of retail sales in March was £5 billion, 4.4 per cent higher than March 2007.

In January to March the value of sales for all retailing was 5.3 per cent higher than in the same period a year earlier; sales by predominantly food stores were 6.6 per cent higher; sales by predominantly non-food stores were 3.6 per cent higher and sales by the non-store retailing and repair sector were 9.7 per cent higher than a year earlier.


Available at:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/rs0408.pdf