Sales of homeware items helped lift retail sales in June, according to new figures released this morning.
The monthly retail sales monitor produced by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and professional services firm KPMG revealed that total sales were up 1.5 per cent in June, compared to a 3.4 per increase a year earlier.
Homewares played a significant role, with sales helped along by retailers starting their summer sales early. According to the report, sales were concentrated on smaller items such as textiles and accessories for the home, rather than big ticket purchases.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, said while the figures are "not as bad as they could have been", they stand as an indication of the tough conditions that retailer are currently facing,
He said: "Sales continue to be under huge pressure from the squeeze on disposable incomes produced by rising inflation and low wage growth. Underlying conditions are still tough but are being masked by a minor revival in non-food sales driven by price cuts and clearance events starting earlier this year."
