Sales of laptop and tablet computers were among the very few bright spots contained in sales figures announced by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for August.
Overall, sales in the UK fell by 0.6 per cent compared with the same month a year earlier, with people especially reluctant to spend money on footwear and homewares.
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at accountants KPMG, who helped compile the survey, called the figures 'disheartening' for non-food businesses, where declines in sales were the steepest of the year so far.
Shoppers were focusing on essentials and bargains in the clothing sector, the BRC said. Many people had spent extra as the weather warmed up in April, but that had helped exacerbate the slowdown in sales in August, it found.
The increase in sales of laptops and tablet computers came ahead of children's return to school or college, the figures showed.
But the picture was gloomy in other so-called 'big ticket' sectors, with people postponing plans to buy furniture, including fitted kitchens and bathrooms.
BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "Consumers are more and more comfortable using the internet to compare prices (and) are motivated by value and seeking out bargains and discounts."
