Retailers cheer as sales recover
RETAIL sales picked up again in August, with the high street enjoying its strongest growth since January this year.
Like-for-like sales rose by 1.3 per cent in August compared with same time last year and a 0.3 per cent dip in July, according to the latest data from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
“Retailers have pointed to the successful launch of their autumn fashion collections helped by the cooler weather, as well as a good response to marketing campaigns for back to school clothing,” BRC’s director general Helen Dickinson said.
However over the three months from June to August like-for-like sales were flat after a dismal performance from Britain’s food sector, which recorded a 3.6 per cent decline.
Non-food like-for-like sales were up 2.9 per cent in the same period.
KPMG’s head of retail, David McCorquodale, said:“The food sector remains in a state of disruption with the share of the big four being challenged on many fronts after a 15 year reign.”
Supermarkets have been fighting to hold onto market share by slashing the price of products, driving grocery price inflation to a historic 0.2 per cent low in recent weeks.