High street retailers battle through worst February in a decade

    high_street_2019
    high_street_2019

    High street retailers endured their worst February in a decade despite the unseasonably warm weather and Valentine’s Day, according to new data.

    The latest High Street Sales Tracker from accounting firm BDO shows a 3.7 per cent decline in bricks-and-mortar retail sales last month compared to the same period last year, when high streets were battered by the ‘Beast from the East’ snow storm. The declines marked the worst February figures for store sales since 2009, and indicated that Valentine’s Day, the half-term holiday and unseasonably warm temperatures failed to boost sales this year.