Guardian: High street sales slump

'Poor weather and price rises sent high street sales tumbling in the early part of this month, heightening fears that consumers are tightening their purse strings as they brace themselves for house price falls, tax rises and pay squeezes ... The hardest-hit subsectors included chemists and DIY, the latter's performance echoing signs of a slowing housing market ... The CBI's chief economic adviser, Ian McCafferty described the figures as "clearly disappointing" but indicated that pressure had gone beyond mere weather factors. "Unseasonal poor weather at the start of the month is likely to have dented clothing sales, while some signs of slowing momentum in the housing market may help to account for the renewed weakness in sales of big-ticket items and other household goods," he said.'