Struggling retailers are hoping for a bumper World Cup to boost the high street and improve consumer confidence . Footfall figures, which measure trips rather than expenditure, already suggested that many shoppers have all but abandoned the UK high street. The latest sales figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show that sales fell 3 per cent in April compared to growth of 7 per cent in the same month a year ago. That’s partly because Easter was in March this year, but even adjusting for that, the figures are disappointing for retailers. Food sales decreased by 2.5 per cent year-on-year in April, against a growth of 8.2 per cent in April 2025. This was below the 12-month average growth of 3.5 per cent. Harry Kane could boost consumer confidence this summer (Getty) Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the BRC, said: “April’s sales fall was largely driven by the Easter shift, with food hit hardest.…