Consumers in the United Kingdom have been hesitant to fully open their wallets in recent months, as a slow economic recovery coupled with cold weather have impacted the nation and its residents. This has taken a significant toll on retail sales, but despite a drop in April, shoppers are increasingly taking to the web to browse for and buy products from merchants.

According to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium, April saw a 2.2 percent year-over-year drop in retail sales, The Guardian reports. Analysts state that this decrease was mainly due to prolonged winter weather, as the country saw lower-than-normal temperatures throughout the month. This kept many consumers at home and stalled their purchases for summer-related items, the news source notes.

However, ecommerce was a strong point for U.K. retailers last month, explains Internet Retailer. Data from the Interactive Media Retail Group and Capgemini shows that online sales grew 16 percent year-over-year in April. To capture additional sales and attract customers as the weather warms up, merchants can incorporate point of sale systems that process both purchase made on the internet and in brick-and-mortar locations. 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, May 24th, 2013 at 10:25 am .