CBI Head of Economic Analysis Doug Godden, said: "Retailers had been expecting stronger sales growth in March but for the third month in a row volumes failed to meet expectations. Some of this poor performance might be attributed to the wintry weather at the start of March and reluctance for consumers to spend ahead of the Budget. But there is no doubt that sales growth has slowed on an underlying basis since the turn of the year." 30 03 2005 CBI News Release. |