evidence: Download this image Figure 1: The restrictions on non-essential retail have been reflected in the impact on footfall .png (97.2 kB)The impact has been reflected in the official Retail sales figures. The total volume of retail sales in Great Britain fell by 1.9% in 2020 compared with 2019, the largest fall since records began. The impact has been particularly severe for non-essential retail. Figure 2 shows that retail sales volumes started to fall sharply in March 2020, and by April total retail sales volumes were 19% lower when compared with February levels. As these lockdown restrictions eased, there was a marked increase, which may have reflected some pent-up consumer demand. However, Figure 2 also shows that this in part reflects a change in how consumers have moved to online retailing. The rising use of online shopping has eased the impact of the pandemic on the retail sector. Online sales rose rapidly following the start of the pandemic and were 60% higher in May when compared with February's level. Total retail sales volumes recovered and since July have been above pre-pandemic (February 2020) levels.