Retail sales slump extends to three months for first time since 2008

Retail sales have fallen for three months in a row for the first time since the financial crisis, industry figures show.Like-for-like sales slipped by 1% in March compared to the same month last year, according to data compiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the latest monthly performance was "underwhelming" but pointed to the effect of the timing of Easter in April this year, making comparisons difficult.