Summer rain dampens retail demand

Below three-month average

Wet weather kept shoppers' hands in their pockets in July, with figures from the British Retail Consortium’s sales monitor showing sales rose by only 1.5% last month.

This is a marked fall from the previous July's 2.3% growth and well below the three-month average of 3.5%. Furniture and food and drink were the best sellers, although the rate of growth was the lowest since January. Sales growth was driven by inflation as volumes remained in negative territory, in part due to the unseasonably wet weather, especially compared to last July's heatwave. Shop price inflation falls to lowest level of 2023 The wet weather also meant no need to restock summer wardrobes, with all categories of clothing falling into negative sales territory, in what is usua...