Wet weather dampens retail sales in Great Britain

The Guardian says Wet weather has been blamed for a worse-than-expected fall in retail sales last month, with households in Great Britain shunning the high street and pulling back on clothes purchases.

Official figures showed that the quantity of goods bought fell 1.2% month on month in July, worse than average analyst forecasts of a 0.5% drop in sales volumes. It follows a 0.6% rise in June.

Non-food retailers reported a 1.7% drop, after a 0.6% rise in June. “Retailers reported that the fall over the month was because of poor weather reducing footfall,” the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Supermarkets took the biggest hit, with sales tumbling 2.6% in July, after both clothing lines and food sales dipped. However, cost of living pressures and food prices also continued to affect sales.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/18/wet-weather-dampens-retail-sales-in-great-britain