The British Retail Consortium (BRC) director general Helen Dickinson has said that sales figures are "encouraging" despite a fall in the amount shoppers bought from retailers in March, with overall sales down 1.7% for shops open more than a year.

The figures that were compiled by KPMG and the BRC were distorted by the fact that Easter is being celebrated later this year, which has resulted the impact on sales.

Ms Dickinson, director general, British Retail Consortium, said: "These sales figures are stronger than might have been expected given the fact that Easter has fallen so late this year.

"Fashion has performed particularly well. Retailers have worked hard to create popular new collections, and have been rewarded with strong demand for women's clothing and footwear in particular. This improves on the slow start to the season last year when shoppers were more reluctant to spruce up their wardrobes.

"Unsurprisingly compared to last year, categories that perform strongly over the extended Easter break have seen lower sales. Household accessories and furniture are often key purchases over the holiday, and have seen a decline. With the later school holidays, the same has been the case for children's clothing. Retailers will be looking forward to April's results to see how this balances out over the period."