Drivers cutting back on petrol and fuel purchases at the steepest rate since the Covid pandemic in 2020 drove retail sales in Great Britain to their biggest monthly decline in a year, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the overall volume of retail sales plunged by 1.3% in April compared with the previous month, the biggest contraction since May last year and worse than the -0.6% forecast. Fuel purchases plunged more than 10% month on month, the biggest slide since November 2020.
“After strong growth last month, motor fuel sales fell in April, with evidence suggesting motorists were conserving fuel after stocking up in March,” said Grant Fitzner, the chief economist at the ONS. “These subdued fuel purchases contributed to a sizeable monthly fall for total retail sales in April.”
The ONS revised down its initial estimate of retail sales growth in March from 0.7% to 0.6%. That rise was driven by a 6.1% increase in fuel sales volumes – and a 12% rise in the value of fuel sales – as the Iran war prompted a rush to stock up amid the biggest jump in fuel prices for more than three years.
Excluding fuel purchases, total retail sales fell by 0.4% month on month. Sales at clothing stores declined 2.4%, the lowest level since June last year, amid variable weather and lower demand as shoppers worried about rising prices.
Jacqueline Windsor, the head of retail at PwC UK, said: “April 2026 will be remembered as the first month that the impact of the Middle East conflict first hit British consumers. The question will be whether the downward momentum continues, or whether May’s better weather and lower inflation can encourage consumers back into stores.”
