Key events
Introduction: Retail sales in Britain fall 1.2% as wet weather hits clothing purchases
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Retail sales in Great Britain fell by 1.2% last month, more than expected, as people bought fewer clothes during the wet weather but also less food.
Economists had expected a 0.5% drop. The figure comes after a 0.6% monthly rise in June, which was revised lower, the Office for National Statistics said.
Retailers indicated that the increased cost of living and food prices continued to affect sales volumes, it said.
Shoppers switched to online shopping because of the bad weather and increased promotions, so 27.4% of sales were made online in July, up from 26% in June, and the highest proportion since February 2022.
The Agenda
