Consumer caution and an early Easter saw retail sales hit in April, the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG reveal.

In the 4 weeks spanning 05 Apr – 02 May 2026, total retail sales decreased by -3% year-on-year, down across the 12-month rolling average of +1.8%.

Food sales were more resilient, but remained down -2.5% compared to 2025, while non-food saw the biggest decline, dipping -3.3% on last year.

Much of this can be attributed to an early 2026 Easter, falling in March this year whereas last year it landed in April. Taking March and April together, to normalise the impact of the timing of Easter, total UK retail sales increased marginally by +1.5% compared to 2025.

“April’s sales fall was largely driven by the Easter shift. But weak consumer confidence also played a role, with fears about the Middle East conflict driving up living costs led shoppers to rein in,” said Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the BRC.

This was echoed by Linda Ellett, UK Head of Consumer, Retail & Leisure at KPMG, who said that “weak consumer confidence” and “fears about the Middle East conflict” had contributed to dampened demand.

While the beauty, health and jewellery categories showed some resilience, big-ticket purchases, particularly in homeware and furniture, felt the keenest impact of restrained consumer spending.

However, both Dickinson and Ellett pointed to the opportunities for seasonal spend in the next few months.

“With the World Cup coming, retailers hope it will provide a lift, and early signs show demand for TVs and sound systems is picking up,” said Dickinson, with Ellett adding “there is hope that holiday demand and the World Cup will still manage to unlock spending.”