Retail sales fell unexpectedly last month, official figures have revealed.
Sales dropped 0.1% in March compared to February, the first month-on-month drop for four months, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said. City analysts had predicted a 0.4% hike.
The annual rate of growth dropped to 2.7%, the lowest level since August 2003.
ONS blamed the decline on falling demand for furniture and household goods.
The figures are likely to ease worries that the Bank of England is set to raise interest rates when its monetary policy committee meets next month.
Rates have been frozen at 4.75% for the past eight months.
Last week, separate ONS data showed inflation at a seven-year high which had sparked fears the Bank would hike up rates in May.
However, minutes released from the MPC's March meeting highlighted the 'risk of weakness of household spending.'
Howard Archer, from Global Insight, said: "The unexpected fall in retail sales in March clearly reduces the likelihood that interest rates will rise in May, given that the monetary policy committee sees weakened consumer spending as a key downside risk to the inflation outlook."