UK retail sales slump 1.2% as wet weather dampens spending
Retail sales volumes dropped more than twice as fast as had been expected in June.
Unusually wet weather impacted British retailers last month, pushing down sales by more than had been expected, the Office for National Statistics reported on Friday.
ONS figures suggested that retail sales volumes fell 1.2% during the month, and that people chose to shop online more.
Economists had expected a fall, but only by 0.5% according to an average of different estimates provided by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
The wet weather and online promotions meant the proportion of sales made via the internet grew from 26% in June to 27.4% in July, the highest level since February 2022.
There was a 2.6% fall in retail sales volumes at food shops.
Part of this was because of a drop in food sales, but much of it was due to a fall in clothes sales at supermarkets due to the bad weather.
ONS deputy director for surveys and economic indicators Heather Bovill said: “Retail sales fell sharply in July as poor weather impacted most sectors.
“It was a particularly bad month for supermarkets as the summer washout combined with the increased cost of living meant sluggish sales for both clothing and food.
“Department store and household goods sales also dropped significantly.
“The wet weather did mean a good month for online retailing, as discounting plus consumers shopping from the comfort of their homes boosted sales.”