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

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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.