Cold snap sends shiver through high street

Footfall declined by 6% in March compared with the same month last year as plunging temperatures and icy conditions deterred consumers, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and data company Springboard.At the same time, figures from Visa showed the biggest fall in quarterly consumer spending since the last three months of 2012 - also partly blamed on the "Beast from the East".Severe weather conditions have added to the sector's woes - as well as that of the wider economy, w