面临美国关税冲击，英国消费者3月份支出仍然增加

Group 1 - UK retail sales in March increased by 1.1% year-on-year, maintaining the same growth rate as February, despite global economic concerns due to tariff announcements by President Trump [1] - The British Retail Consortium (BRC) noted that weak growth in food and non-food sales masks signs of strengthening demand fundamentals [1] - Barclays reported a more pessimistic view, with consumer spending growth at 0.5% in March, down from 1.0% in February, and below the inflation rate [1] Group 2 - Warm weather positively impacted sales at garden centers and specialty food and drink stores, while supermarket sales fell by 2.6% [2] - Consumer confidence is declining, indicating risks of reduced consumer spending in the coming months, with expectations of weak spending until mid-2025 [2] - A survey indicated that 67% of consumers are concerned about rising import prices due to tariffs, and 71% plan to buy more "British-made" products [2] Group 3 - Business confidence has turned negative for the first time since late 2022, with the Chartered Institute of Accountants reporting a drop in the business confidence index to -3 for Q1 2025 [2] - Employment growth has reached a near four-year low, reflecting the impact of increased employer social security contributions starting this month [3]