A good summer could help boost sales for retail outlets - and could see online courier services busier than ever.

More people could be using online parcel delivery services if reports that the UK is in for a barbeque summer come true, it has been noted.

According to director of the Centre for Retail Research Joshua Bamfield, confidence among consumers will be helped along by the pleasant weather and this could stimulate sales.

He said that despite the recession, the "world didn't end last year" and people have been shown that they can still continue to shop.

Traditionally, general elections trigger a small fall in confidence, he noted, as customers are unsure about the future and therefore tend to rein in spending. But this year, if the sun shines in the summer, the good weather will overrule this sentiment, Mr Bamfield claimed.

According to figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG, retail sales values rose 4.4 per cent year-on-year in March.

Like-for-like sales were up by more than two per cent on average, in the first three months of this year.

Posted by Matt Watts

Article Added: 15/04/2010 10:53:09