Easter Lifts U.K. Retail Sales Says BDO Stoy Hayward

U.K. retail sales figures from accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward's High Street Sales Tracker for the week ending April 12 showed like-for-like sales up 7.9 percent—the strongest level of growth posted on the survey since the first week of January, with stores benefiting from the Easter holiday.

Non-fashion retailers saw sales rise for a sixth consecutive week, with an increase of 5.2 percent. Demand for leisure goods picked up this week, the survey says, while health and beauty demand was more subdued.

Fashion like-for-like sales jumped 10.5 percent, which was the fastest level of growth since the first week of the year. Footwear and younger fashion brands were the top performers. The biggest winner was non-store sales, which surged ahead by 54.1 percent, while homeware sales remain weak with a drop in like-for-likes of 10.5 percent.

"The Easter calendar shift helped boost sales," says Rupert Eastell, head of retail at BDO Hayward. "If sales continue to stay in the black, then April could see two consecutive months of positive growth—the first for more than two years."