RETAILERS suffered a sales jolt this month after supermarkets and department stores reported lower volumes, figures from the CBI showed today.
The survey of 138 firms found that the balance of retailers experiencing sales growth in February slid to plus one from plus 39 in January, far below economists' forecasts and the lowest reading since November 2013.
Retailers also cut the orders they placed with suppliers to a balance of minus seven, the lowest since May 2013.
The report added that average selling prices fell for the first time since May 2006, with only a slight rise expected next month.
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