Britain’s total retail sales saw a significant increase of 3.6 percent year-on-year in March, driven by robust food sales, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

• Total retail sales up 3.6 percent in March, exceeding the 12-month average of 2.6 percent.
• Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, attributed the growth to an early Easter.
• Food sales rose by 6.8 percent, while non-food sales grew by a modest 0.9 percent, with inflation and global conflicts cited as concerns.