Retail sales in Britain continued rising last month, with shoppers splashing out nearly £21 billion sterling.
A clothing boom helped push sales volumes in March to 0.1 per cent above the level seen in February, and 5.6 per cent up on a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The ONS says annual growth at textile, clothing and footwear stores was 12.9 per cent - the highest since its records began in 1986.
Today's figures come after a sales surge in February and are in line with most analysts' expectations.
City experts in London believe the spending spree will begin to cool down in the coming months after frenzied activity in the run-up to Christmas.
The ONS says the £20.83 billion spent by shoppers in March was 6.7 per cent up on a year ago. But it said the rate of growth in sales volumes in the most recent quarter is below the level seen in the second half of 2001.