According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG sales monitor, the U.K. retail sales decreased by an annual rate of 0.7% on a like-for-like basis in March, after a 0.1% rise in February.

On a total basis, retail sales were flat year-on-year in March.

"Neither growth nor decline in total year-on-year sales in March, although this relatively disappointing picture is distorted by the earlier timing of Easter this year," BRC Chief Executive, Helen Dickinson, said.