–BRC: UK Jun Like-for-Like Sales -0.6% y/y; Total +1.5% y/y
–BRC: UK Q2 Like-for-Like Sales +0.8% y/y; Total +2.7%
LONDON, (MNI) – Total, and like-for-like, retail sales value growth
improved markedly in June from May, while second quarter sales growth
was up on the year, according to the KPMG/British Retail Consortium’s
latest Retail Sales Monitor.
Like-for-like sales were down 0.6% on the year, having been down
2.1% in May, while total sales were up 1.5% on the year after May’s 0.3%
fall. The underlying picture showed postive sales growth in Q2, with
like-for-like sales up 0.8% on the year and total sales up 2.7%.
The value figures, however, reflect in part rising high street
prices and Helen Dickinson, Head of Retail at KPMG, said “underlying
volumes of sales continue to fall.”
The spotlight in the official numbers shines on the volume numbers
rather than the value figures used by the BRC.
While the April and May BRC data appear to have been impacted by
the slew of Bank Holidays in late April running into early May, the June
data have no such distorting factors.
April sales soared, rising 5.2% on the year on a like-for-like
basis, before the sharp fall in May.
“It was a welcome relief to know that May was not indicative of a
new norm,” Dickinson said.
She noted that the non-food retail sectors had a better month in
June than May. Nevertheless, non-food sales on a like-for-like basis
were down 0.6% in the three months through June while food sales were up
2.6% on the same basis.
–London newsroom: 4420 7862 7491; email: ukeditorial@marketnews.com
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