U.K. Retail Sales Beat Forecasts as Clothing Demand Surges

U.K. retail sales rose more than economists forecast in April as warm weather helped to boost clothing demand the most in four years.

The volume of sales including auto fuel increased 1.2 percent from March, the Office for National Statistics said in London on Thursday. Economists forecast a 0.4 percent increase, according to a Bloomberg News survey. Clothing and footwear sales jumped 5.2 percent, the biggest gain since April 2011, as warmer-than-average temperatures prompted consumers to bring forward summer purchases.