18-09-2008
Clothing and footwear stores drive retail growth
Moderate growth in retail sales volume continues, driven by strength in clothing and footwear stores, according to the latest figures released today by the Office for National Statistics. Good news for the shops on the high street.
Between August and July, total sales volume rose by 1.2 per cent. The overall monthly growth was driven by textile, clothing and footwear stores where sales rose by 4.1 per cent. Sales volume in predominantly food stores fell by 0.2 per cent. Sales volume for predominantly non-food stores rose by 2.1 per cent. Sales volume for the non-store retailing and repair sector rose by 2.4 per cent.
Sales volume in the three months June to August fell by 0.8 per cent compared with the previous three months. However, on this occasion ONS advises caution in the interpretation of this measure, because of the record increase in the May 2008 index, which significantly affects this estimate this month. Supplementary analysis provided with this release provides more information on the recent trend in underlying sales volume.
Total sales volume in the three months to August was 2.5 per cent higher than the same period a year ago. Sales for predominantly food stores rose by 0.6 per cent. Sales volume for predominantly non-food stores rose by 2.9 per cent. Sales for the non-store retailing and repair sector increased by 11.0 per cent.
The non-seasonally adjusted value of retail sales for the three months to August was 3.7 per cent higher than in the same period a year earlier. The average weekly value of sales in August was £5.1 billion, 3.9 per cent higher than in August 2007. Sales by predominantly food stores rose by 5.5 per cent over the year. In the predominantly non-food stores sales rose by 2.2 per cent. Within the non-store retailing and repair sector sales increased by 6.5 per cent.
