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Retail sales drop

Sep 08 2009

high street spending drops

A fall in retail sales in August has dampened hopes of a high street recovery.

Retail sales dipped by 0.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis from August 2008, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Sales rose by 1.8 per cent in July and 1.4 per cent in June compared to the same period last year. 

Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, says: ‘The stronger figures of June and July haven't been sustained. It's clear the deceptively good sales growth of those months was due to summer sun and price cuts – not any major revival in how customers are feeling. What spending we now have is all about value and essentials.’

Internet, mail-order and phone sales (non-food non-store sales) in August rose by 7.9 per cent – the weakest figure since May.

Sharon Hardiman, head of non-store retailing, says: 'Sales of non-food goods continue to outperform store sales but they are not immune from the impact of the recession on customers’ ability and willingness to spend.’

According to figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online sales in July grew by 16.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2008.

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