Economy
Cost of living crisis begins to hamper consumer spending
However, department stores returned to growth at 1.3% after seven months of decline as half of shoppers are confident in their ability to spend on non-essential items
![Online Retail](https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/online-retail-e1511268447170-780x470.jpg)
Spending on essential items dropped to 18.1% in April, compared to 17.4% in March, as inflation and rising living costs are starting to impact the retail sector.
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