The late Easter this year saw retail sales take their biggest hit since April 2013, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), whilst footfall over the Easter holiday itself was down 1.9% on the previous year.

Total sales dropped 0.3% in March, according to the BRC figures, their first annual fall since April last year and down on February’s 0.7% rise.

It has also been reported that retailers saw lower footfall, according to data firm Springboard, with shopping centres faring the worst.

“People are clearly still very nervous about spending and these figures reveal the fragility of the recovery. Easter weekend is the next big trading opportunity for retailers after Christmas and a huge opportunity, but even good weather was not enough to encourage people to go out and spend," said Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard.

"Though out-of-town locations are trading well, high streets and shopping centres have had a tough time this weekend, which is unexpected. I think it's a function of the fact that the recovery we are seeing in terms of the macro-economic indicators, such as rising employment and falling inflation, haven't yet filtered through enough for people to feel more confident," she added.