Demand for summer clothing, electric fans and picnic food during the record hot weather helped sales at retailers rebound last month, according to new figures. The BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for July showed that total sales increased by 2.3% during the month, bringing to an end three consecutive months of decline.
Nevertheless, industry experts said the growth was still driven by inflation, with the price of products significantly higher than the same period last year. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation hit a new 40-year high of 9.4% in June.
The volume of products sold during the month declined as price rises continued to weigh on customers.
