Home spending boosts retail growth
Aug 13 2009
Home spending up on last year
Internet, mail-order and phone sales are driving retail growth, with non-store spending up 20 per cent on last year, says the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Overall, retail grew by 1.8 per cent in July compared to the same month last year.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, says: ‘July showed us both sides of the British summer and gave some parts of retailing a much-needed boost. There are some signs that people are using holidays to improve their homes rather than spending on going away.’
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG, says: ‘On the face of it, last month's trend has continued with retail sales holding up better than some other areas of consumer spending. But, the volatility of performance across the different sectors remains, highlighting the current precarious nature of consumer demand.’
Food sales growth slowed, partly reflecting lower inflation, whereas homewares and furniture benefited from clearance discounts and wet weather – which encouraged people indoors.
Figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index showed a year-on-year increase of 12.3 per cent for online spending in June.
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