SHOPPERS have been turned off by a sea of grey clothing ranges and are shunning high street fashion chains, retail analysts said yesterday.

The unseasonably warm weather has also kept women from spending in stores packed with woollen jumpers and winter coats.

Experts believe that widespread collections in shades of grey, supposedly the “new black” this season, are proving less than popular. They say younger shop buyers are unaware of the curse of drab colours — Marks & Spencer slumped in popularity after relying on grey in its winter ranges seven years ago.

Many shops have started their mid-season sales earlier than usual, while others have warned the City that sales are down. Chains that are believed to have performed strongly include Hobbs, which has stuck with its distinctive colourful look.

Matalan, the discount retailer, said this week that its like-for-like sales were down 4 per cent in recent weeks with a “poor performance seen in warmer, wetter weather”.

The slump will be felt all the more keenly because the cheap end of the sector has become more competitive, with Primark and leading supermarkets entering the market.

Maureen Hinton, a senior retail analyst with Verdict, said: “When I discovered that grey was going to be big again this season, I did think that retailers and younger buyers must have short memories. They have forgotten how the decline of M&S was triggered by grey in the autumn of 1998-99. A bit of grey is fine but we need some colour.”

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