The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that in April, household purchases of goods and services decreased by 2.3%.
Retail sales numbers are important because, according to the data, home consumption accounts for the majority of spending in the UK economy.
It may have an impact on GDP growth, which is a measure of overall economic growth that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be monitoring.
Among the five major commitments he made in January 2023 was to grow the economy.
In addition, revised data released on Friday morning revealed that, contrary to initial reports, March sales decreased by 0.2%.
