The British Independent Retailers Association (bira) has released its quarterly members’ trading report, showing the highest level of confidence amongst independent retailers since the recession.
In fact, seven out of ten indies are confident in the trading year ahead of them after a second quarter of overall recovery, despite widespread flooding and miserable weather putting off shoppers.
56 per cent of bira members taking part in the quarterly sales monitor reported higher sales in the first three months of 2014 than in the matching quarter of 2013, with 44 per cent citing less in the till this year. The overall gain in takings was just above the 1.6 per cent inflation waterline marked by the Consumer Prices Index for March.
Clothing and footwear retailers were amongst those that reported growth, alongside independent department stores, and traders of books, gifts, cookware and garden supplies.