The newspaper coverage of the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor figures for March was thinner on the ground than usual. A good news story for retail does not seem to command as many column inches as when things are going south.

There is much in the figures released today for retailers generally and fashion and footwear retailers in particular to celebrate.

Clothing sales were in positive territory for the first time in 10 months last month, as the spring sunshine tempted shoppers to venture out and part with their cash. Footwear sales were also up in March, recording the best year-on-year increase since May last year.

The growth was led by womenswear and childrenswear. However, menswear and mens footwear sales were down on last year, with suits and shirts struggling.

Despite the fillip the sector received from the good weather last month, it should also not be overlooked that the figures for March do not include the benefits of Easter, unlike the figures for March last year.

Total retail sales in March inched up 0.6 per cent, a much better than expected rise. Some were predicting a 0.6 per cent fall. And a 1.2 per cent like-for-like fall back is not to be sniffed at given the challenging trading conditions.

No one, rightly, dares to utter the “green shoots of recovery” phrase yet, but the figures reveal that sales in the first quarter of the year have been more resilient for the battered retail sector than expected.

Total sales growth for the first three months of the year was up 1.2 per cent - a largely flat like-for-like performance, down only 0.7 per cent.

There is a long way to go before anyone can say that things are on the up and the BRC was quick to say that the figures are “unlikely to be the basis of sustained improvement” after negative like-for-like sales growth in nine out the past 10 months. However, the performance is nowhere near as awful as the torrid last quarter of last year and should be celebrated for not being a darn sight worse.

Curious designer choices for Debs and M&S


Meanwhile, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer have created an interesting comparison in the designer collaboration space.

Today, M&S revealed that it has signed up veteran designer Zandra Rhodes to create a fashion range for spring. And yesterday, Debenhams said that it was in talks with hip fashion designer Henry Holland to create a range for its Designers at Debenhams collection.

The choice of the two signings are poles apart. While Debenhams hopes to attract a funky, younger, fashion-savvy customer to its stores with Holland’s of-the-moment designs, M&S has turned to the 68-year-old Rhodes, known for her pink hair and bold, oddball choice of fashion statements. Not very middle England, or young, or - well, M&S. However, it follows the launch of a range by Sex and the City designer Patricia Field, a similarly unexpected collaboration.

If it is a bid to appear more modern and in touch with its customers, it will be interesting to see how much mileage M&S can get out of Rhodes.

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