RETAIL sales plummeted last month as shoppers were deterred by heavy rain and a rise in cost-of-living pressures.

Sales fell by 2.3 per cent across all sectors, but clothing, sports equipment, furniture and games and toys were particularly hit by the storms and heavy rainfall during April.

Clothing and household store sales tumbled by 4.1 per cent — the joint-steepest fall since January 2021 — while fashion and footwear retailers alone saw sales dip by 5.1 per cent month on month.