UK Retail Conditions Deteriorate in April as Sales Fall Sharply

Retailers said they also expected sales in May to disappoint relative to seasonal norms.

People shop on Oxford Street in central London, on Dec. 20, 2018. Henry Nicholls/Reuters

Retail conditions in the UK deteriorated in April as sales volumes fell sharply and consumer demand remained weak, according to a closely watched business survey.

Data published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on April 27 showed that more retailers reported falling sales than rising sales, by a margin of 68 percentage points in April.