British retail sales rise by a stronger-than-expected 0.7% in June

FILE PHOTO-People shop on Oxford Street in London, Britain April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) – British retail sales were 0.7% higher in June than in May, boosted by unusually warm weather, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that sales volumes would rise 0.2% on the month.

Retail sales volumes were 1.0% lower than a year earlier, beating economists’ forecasts for a 1.5% decline.

“Retail sales grew strongly, with food sales bouncing back from the effects of the extra bank holiday, partly helped by good weather, and department stores and furniture shops also having a strong month,” ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said.

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