Retail gross sales grew 0.7% final month beating expectations, newest official knowledge signifies.

It follows an increase of 0.1% in May, a determine which the Office for National Statistics had revised down from 0.3%.

Experts had forecast an increase of 0.2% in June, in keeping with a mean provided by Pantheon Macroeconomics.

The enhance got here throughout the board, with a lot of the foremost retail sectors other than petrol and diesel sellers seeing their gross sales rise.

Department shops and furnishings sellers mentioned that gross sales had risen on account of extra summer time gross sales in the course of the hotter climate.

Sales in supermarkets and different meals retailers, which had fallen 0.4% as folks ordered extra takeaways throughout May's further financial institution vacation, bounced again to rise 07% in June, the info confirmed.

The figures measure the quantity purchased - quantity - relatively than the quantity spent - worth.

ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner mentioned: "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.

"However, these have been partially offset by falls in gas, backyard centres and garments retailers.

"Growth still fell on an annual basis, but at its slowest rate since the beginning of the Ukraine war."

Helen Dickinson, chief government of the British Retail Consortium, mentioned: "June's sunshine gave retail sales growth a boost as customers readied themselves for the summer season, with products in areas such as fashion, skincare and books performing particularly well.

"Nonetheless, shopper confidence stays fragile, and with households feeling the pinch from excessive inflation and rising rates of interest they held again on making huge ticket purchases, particularly in areas comparable to electricals.

"Retailers are hopeful that consumer confidence will improve over the coming months as inflation eases.

"Falling inflation charges are a transparent signal that competitors is bringing down costs wherever price pressures ease."

But she added: "While retailers are doing their bit, authorities has a task to play in bringing inflation down.

"The costly reforms to the packaging levy and a new deposit return scheme could together add £4bn in costs to retailers, putting renewed pressure on prices.

"Government ought to rethink the timelines for these interventions to be able to not make the present difficult setting much more difficult for households and companies."

Aled Patchett, head of retail and consumer goods at Lloyds Bank, said: "An increase in gross sales is to some extent not shocking with file temperatures spurring customers to spend on summer time clothes and outside items.

"A combination of continued hikes in interest rates and the high cost of living is making shoppers less willing to spend on discretionary goods.

"That mentioned, a downturn in power utilization all through the summer time months might present reduction for households, releasing up some disposable earnings."

Content Source: information.sky.com