UK Retail Sales Jump 0.7% in March

UK retail sales rose 0.7% month‑on‑month in March 2026, beating the 0.1% market expectation.
Year‑on‑year sales increased 1.7%, outpacing the 1.3% forecast, while fuel sales surged 6.1% on stockpiling.
Excluding fuel, monthly sales rose 0.2% (flat expected) and annual growth lagged forecast at 1.7% versus 2.0%.
Consumer confidence fell to -25 in April, prompting forecasts of a 2% April sales dip and near‑zero annual growth.