Retail sales volumes in the UK during March were unchanged on a seasonally adjusted basis from February and were up 4.8 per cent from a year earlier.
The Office for National Statistics says it can not definitely say if the foot-and-mouth crisis has influenced the retail sales figures.
Analysts had forecast a seasonally adjusted rise of 0.3 per cent in March compared with February, and a rise of 5.3 per cent year-on-year.
In the three months to March, sales rose by an adjusted 1.5 per cent compared with the previous quarter, and by 4.7 per cent from a year ago.
The ONS says the March data indicated a slowing in volume growth as overall prices increased while the value of spending growth remained strong. The amount spent on food stores rose, with price rises also apparent.
Based on non-seasonally adjusted data, the average weekly value of retail sales in March was £3.9 billion, 5.8 per cent higher than in March, 2000.
In the three months to March, the value of sales in current prices was up by 4.8 per cent compared with the same period a year ago.
PA