Rain hits retail sales in Great Britain as shoppers reduce spending

April’s wet weather leads to steeper fall than forecast, with clothing and toy stores among most affectedBusiness live – latest updatesA month of unrelenting rain in many parts of the country resulted in British shoppers spending much less than expected in April, with fewer treating themselves to clothes and big-ticket items.The Office for National Statistics blamed the wet weather for the 2.3% drop in the amount of goods bought compared with March, which was much steeper than the 0.