Food sales in the UK have dropped in the last year, new figures have revealed.

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), sales of food items in Britain during March 2011 were "well below" the amount recorded 12 months earlier.

This, it said, is partly due to ongoing fears among consumers about issues such as their personal finances and job security.

However, the BRC noted that the figures could also have been affected by the fact Easter fell in March last year, whereas this year it comes towards the end of April.

Nevertheless, the underlying concerns shoppers harbour about their finances could prompt businesses to look at new ways of attracting customers, such as using promotional and booklet labels to stimulate interest in their products.

Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, commented: "Uncomfortably high inflation and low wage growth have produced the first year-on-year fall in disposable incomes for 30 years."

This coincides with data from the Office for National Statistics showing that in March, the annual rate of inflation dropped from 4.4 per cent to 4 per cent.

Denny Bros Ltd, 12 April 2011