Fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz said sales rebounded at a faster rate than expected last month as the retail bellwether ended eight months of declines, adding to signs of a tentative recovery in consumer spending.

Last month some store sales - made up of store, internet and catalogue sales running for at least one financial year - rose eight per cent, the Swedish company said, just beating a mean forecast for 7.5 per cent seen in a Reuters poll of analysts.

It was the firm's first rise in sales since last July.

Analysts had expected H&M, the world's third-biggest clothing retailer by sales after Gap Inc. and Zara owner Inditex, to post a quick rebound after a cool March held back spring sales, while a new launch also boosted figures.

"The April performance is flattered by a soft comparative and the launch of the first phase of the Matthew Williamson range across 200 stores on 23 April," Citigroup said in a note.