Retail sales in Great Britain rose by 0.5% in August, driven by back-to-school shopping and warm weather, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase was slightly above the 0.4% forecast by some analysts, with clothing sales up 1.3% month on month due to the heatwave.
Non-food stores saw a 1.1% monthly rise, while food stores experienced a 0.5% increase, recovering from poor July sales. Online retail also grew in August. However, over the three months to August, sales fell by 0.1% compared with the previous quarter, mainly due to declines in non-food stores and fuel sales.
Retailers expressed cautious optimism, with Jim Rudall of Mailchimp noting that the August figures continued the summer shopping momentum. However, concerns remain about the impact of the late November budget, which could include tax rises and affect consumer spending during the crucial Christmas period.
