Homeware sales remained positive on the high street, as overall sales were flat during April.
According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales rose by 0.55% for the week ending 21 April 2024.
Homeware total LFL sales grew by +5.25% this week from a base of -1.65% for the same week last year, marking the category’s second consecutive positive result following eight straight weeks of negative outcomes.
Store homewares LFL sales increased by +0.18% from a strong base of +13.87% for the same week last year, marking the category’s second consecutive positive outcome and its third in the last five weeks.
Total in-store LFL sales dipped by -3.47% from a base of +1.80% for the same week last year. Total non-store LFL sales rose by +2.06% from a base of -9.35% for the same week last year.
Commenting on the results, BDO said: “Total LFL sales were sustained by positive non-store sales across all segments as in-store sales dropped for a third time in the last five weeks.
“The UK experienced a cold blast this week that was caused by winds from the north pole amidst showery weather and temperatures dropping to single figures. Last year’s weather during the same week was a mix of warm and sunny conditions with winds and light rainfall.”
Overall footfall dropped by -1.3% this week when compared to the corresponding week last year. Shopping centres saw footfall decline by -2.3% as the high street equally recorded a drop of -1.5%. On the other hand, retail parks saw a slight increase of +0.1%.
