Continuing a sustained period of year-on-year growth, retail sales in April 2015 are estimated to have increased by 4.7% compared with April 2014. This was the 25th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, the longest period of sustained growth since May 2008 when there were 31 periods of growth. The underlying pattern in the data, as suggested by the 3 month on 3 month movement in the quantity bought, continued to show growth for the 26th consecutive month, increasing by 0.7%. This is the longest period of sustained growth since consistent records began in June 1996. Compared with March 2015, the quantity bought in ... (full story)