Sales fall blow hits spending hopes

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The bleak CBI survey emerged on the same day that retailers paid their latest quarterly rent bills to landlords.

It is feared the deadline may result in the collapse of more retailers as firms face a perfect storm of weak consumer conditions, rising costs and credit difficulties.

The CBI said its latest distributive trades survey showed retailers suffered a "full year of pain" as a worse than expected balance of 44% of retailers said sales had fallen, cancelling out February's more positive balance of 25%.

Andy Clarke, chairman of the CBI distributive trades panel, said: "These poor sales figures for March complete a full year of pain for many retailers and it is disappointing that the less bleak results in February could not be sustained. With unemployment rising and household incomes struggling, the high street faces some testing times ahead."

Concern has grown that the requirement to pay large lump sums to landlords could tip some retailers into administration,

Several retailers collapsed around the last rental demand on Boxing Day and it is feared many more firms could crumple under the pressure this time around.

Landlords are scrambling to renegotiate rental agreements with troubled firms amid threats that they could be left with swathes of empty properties if they continue to pile pressure on retailers.

But the British Retail Consortium has warned that the concessions do not go far enough.

A BRC spokesman said: "Boarded up shops are becoming commonplace. Unrealistic payment terms can only increase the pressure on hard-pressed retailers and the jobs they support. A thriving retail sector is essential for the health of both landlords and the wider UK economy."