Retail sales grew 0.7% last month beating expectations

Retail sales grew 0.7% last month beating expectations, latest official data shows.

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

Experts had forecast a rise of 0.2% in June, according to an average supplied by Pantheon Macroeconomics.

The rise in June came across the board, with most of the main retail sectors apart from petrol and diesel sellers seeing their sales rise.

Department stores and furniture sellers said that sales had risen due to more summer sales during the warmer weather.

Food stores, which had seen a 0.4% drop in May, bounced back to rise 0.7% in June, the ONS said.

ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: “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 were partially offset by falls in fuel, garden centres and clothes shops.

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