UK footwear sector feels the cold in March
09/04/2013
March 2012 had seen the highest footwear sales growth in several years when there had been strong demand for sandals. This year, the standout performers were slippers and wellies.
David McCorquodale, head of retail at consultancy KPMG, said: “Clothing and footwear retailers had a dismal month as the cold weather froze sales, leaving summer skirts and sandals on the shelves. This year-on-year fall is made worse by the strong sales seen last March when a veritable heatwave drove sales of spring stock. Clothing and footwear retailers will be desperate for a change in weather in April.”
Generally, retailers are holding off from discounting new ranges in the hope that customers are merely postponing their purchases rather than cancelling them altogether.
Sentiment in the market overall was encouraging, said Helen Dickinson, director general of the British Retail Consortium. “2013 has got off to an encouraging start for the market as a whole. Retailers are now hoping for a boost in consumer confidence and the general mood to lift performance across all, not just some, sectors as we head into the second quarter. Getting a bit of sunshine, at long last, might help that along!”
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