The hot weather last month provided a small boost to August’s retail sales, despite the cost of living crisis still weighing heavily on consumer spend.
The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show total sales rose 1% last month, against a growth of 4.1% in August 2023. This is below the 12-month average growth of 1.2%.
Food sales rose 2.9% year on year over the three months to August, against a growth of 8.2% in August 2023 and below the 12-month average of 5.0%.
However, non-food sales dropped 1.7% in the three months.
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BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Sales growth picked up in August, particularly for food as people came together to host barbecue and picnic gatherings for family and friends, and for summer clothing, health & beauty products as people prepared for trips away and summer social events.
“While computing did well as university students made the most of summer discounting and readied themselves for the new academic year, other back to school related sales were weaker than normal as some families opted for second hand purchases.”
KPMG UK head of consumer Linda Ellett added: “Despite summer finally making an appearance, and a slight uptick in consumer confidence, shoppers did not catch-up their spending during August, with total sales growth of only 1% reflecting the challenging retail environment that is likely to dominate for the rest of this year.
“After many tough months of falling sales, sports and travel equipment enjoyed a welcome boost during this key summer holiday period, and sales of clothing also saw a second month of growth on the high street.
“Food and drink sales were positive on the high street, whilst online retailers saw demand for DIY and gardening items with growth at nearly 11%. Fashion retailers will be hoping sales growth continues as they look to dispose of excess summer stock as we head into the key autumn season.
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