Retail sales up 1.1% in July
Retail sales rose by 1.1% month-on-month in July as hot weather boosted demand for food and alcohol. This was the third consecutive month-on-month rise.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that retail sales rose by 3% on the same month last year. The amount spent increased by 4.9% over the same period.
The main sources of upward pressure came from the food and non-store retailing sectors. Within the food sector, the quantity bought in July 2013 grew by 2.1% compared with July 2012. This was the highest increase since April 2011.
In the non-food sector, sales within department stores climbed 3.1% in July 2013 compared with July 2012. Over the same period, sales of textiles, clothing and footwear increased by 1.4%
Never Miss a Retail Update!The ONS said feedback from supermarkets suggested that the sunny weather boosted sales across food, alcohol, clothing and outdoor items. As a result, supermarket sales rose by 2.5% on June.
Overall, UK shoppers bought a total of £7 billion a week in July, up from £6.8 billion per week in June.
