Shopper rise ‘fragile’

THE Jubilee fervour driving shoppers back to bricks-and-mortar stores is “fragile” and could be upended by the cost-of-living crisis, experts have warned.

According to British Retail Consortium figures, visitor numbers inched up 0.6% between April and May, but are down 12.5% since 2019.

However, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson cautioned that this increase could be wiped away by rising inflation and falling consumer confidence.