UK retail sales beat expectations with 1% rise in August

Boosted by warmer weather

UK retail sales volumes beat expectations in August with a 1% rise, as warmer weather and end-of-season sales boosted food and clothing shops.

The figures, released today (20 September) by the Office for National Statistics, followed a revised 0.7% increase in July and significantly surpassed the 0.4% forecast by economists. Sales volumes jumped 2.5% in the year to August, the largest annual increase since February 2022, driven by strong performances in the food and clothing sectors. Warm weather boosts retail sales in August as focus turns towards Autumn Budget Food stores sales volumes rose by 1.8% last month, following a rise of 0.3% in July. Sales volumes increased by 0.6% year-on-year, marking the largest annual rise...