Biggest drop in petrol purchases in six years hits retail sales in Great Britain
Drivers conserve fuel amid Iran war uncertainty, pushing overall sales down 1.3% in April
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/may/22/uk-borrowing-higher-retail-sales-drivers-fuel-business-live-news">Business live – latest updates
Motorists cutting back on petrol and fuel purchases at the steepest rate since the Covid pandemic in 2020 drove retail sales in Great Britain to their biggest monthly decline in a year.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the overall volume of retail sales plunged by 1.3% in April compared with the previous month, the biggest contraction since May last year and worse than the -0.6% forecast.
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