British retail sales dipped in July as a disappointing summer expanded to the high street, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Sales of all items other than food fell as consumers cut back on purchases over the month, with sales volumes growing by just 1.3 percent year on year. This compares to 2.8 percent rise in June, with the month-on-month figure remaining at 0.3 percent.
Ole Black, senior statistician at the Office for National Statistics said:
“Strong food sales have been responsible for the growth of 0.3 percent (month-on-month) in July compared with June, as all other main sectors have shown a decrease. Whilst the overall growth is the same as in June, trends in growth in different sectors are proving quite volatile.”
However, the 1.3 percent increase represents the 51st consecutive year-on-year increase in retail sales since April 2013. Online sales increased year-on-year by 15.1 percent and by 0.3 percent on the month, accounting for approximately 16.0 percent of all retail spending.