Britons Pump the Brakes on Petrol as Retail Sales Take a Hit

The biggest drop in fuel purchases in six years dragged down British retail sales in April, marking the sharpest monthly decline in a year. The Office for National Statistics reported that overall retail volumes fell 1.3% compared to March, far worse than the 0.6% drop economists had expected. The culprit? A 10% plunge in petrol and diesel sales—the steepest since November 2020, when pandemic lockdowns kept drivers off the roads. Grant Fitzner, the ONS chief economist, said motorists appeared to be conserving fuel after stocking up in March, when fears over the Iran conflict triggered a panic-buying rush. That March surge saw fuel sales volumes jump 6.1% and their value spike 12%, the biggest monthly increase in over three years. Strip out fuel, and April’s total retail sales still fell 0.4% month on month. Clothing stores took a beating, with sales sliding 2.4% to their lowest since last June, as shoppers worried about rising prices and unpredictable weather. On a brighter note, beauty products and tech shops enjoyed steady demand. Jacqueline Windsor, head of retail at PwC UK, called April 2026 “the first month the Middle East conflict truly hit British consumers,” noting that sentiment had already fallen at its fastest rate in four years. The big question, she added, is whether the downturn will persist or whether better weather and easing inflation will coax shoppers back. Despite the April slump, retail sales over the first quarter were up 1.1% year on year and 0.5% compared to the final three months of 2025.