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Getty Images<\/p>\nTom Espiner<\/p>\n
Business reporter, BBC News<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Retail sales rebounded in June as the hot weather boosted fuel and supermarket sales, according to official data.<\/p>\n
Sales volumes were up by 0.9% in the month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said<\/a>.<\/p>\n People bought more drinks at supermarkets and summer clothes, while fuel sales were up as consumers “ventured out and about in the sunshine”, the ONS said<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rise comes after sales fell by 2.8% in May, which was more than the ONS had previously estimated.<\/p>\n After May’s drop, a rebound in June had been expected, but the increase was lower than many economists had forecast.<\/p>\n Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics, called June’s sales increase “disappointingly small”.<\/p>\n The monthly retail sales numbers have been up and down lately, reflecting weather patterns and a late Easter.<\/p>\n But overall, the rise in retail spending has lost momentum, with sales up just 0.2% between April and June compared with the previous three months.<\/p>\n That ties in with a separate survey from researchers Gfk which suggests that consumer confidence is weaker than a year ago, and supports economists’ views that next month’s figures on economic growth will show it was lacklustre in the second quarter of this year.<\/p>\n Sales in food stores were up 0.7% in June, the ONS said, while fuel sales rose 2.8%.<\/p>\n “The warm weather in June helped to brighten sales, with supermarket retailers reporting stronger trading and an increase in drink purchases,” said ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach.<\/p>\n “It was also a good month for fuel sales as consumers ventured out and about in the sunshine.”<\/p>\n The Met Office said that England had its warmest June on record, and the second warmest for the UK as a whole, following two heatwaves.<\/p>\n Sales at non-food stores rose, the ONS said, with clothing benefiting from promotions and the hot weather. This was partially offset by a fall in sales of household goods such as furniture.<\/p>\n Jacqueline Windsor, head of retail at PwC UK, said the rebound in sales at supermarkets and fashion retailers was down to shoppers entertaining at home and refreshing their wardrobes.<\/p>\n “However, England’s warmest June on record also discouraged shoppers from visiting high streets, with footfall declining and online retail sales penetration increasing,” she said.<\/p>\n The figures come after a string of negative news on the economy. <\/p>\n Earlier this week, data revealed government borrowing<\/a> was higher than expected in June as increased spending on public services and debt interest payments outstripped revenue from taxation.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/3af7c1a0-6924-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.png.webp.webp\")
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