UK retail sales increased 10.9% last month on a like-for-like basis from June 2019, when they decreased 2.2% from the preceding year, according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for June 2020.
June’s like-for-like was measured excluding stores temporarily closed due to the coronavirus outbreak but includes Online sales. The figure is primarily driven by Online sales.
On a Total basis, sales increased by 3.4% in June, against a decrease of 1.6% in June 2019. It was the highest since May 2018, excluding Easter distortions. It is the first growth registered since the lockdown and above the three-month average decline of 6.4% and the 12-month average decline of 2.1%.
Over the three-months to June, Food sales increased 7.3% on a like-for-like basis and 3.8% on a Total basis. This is higher than the 12-month Total average growth of 2.7%. For the month of June, Food was in growth year-on-year.
British Retail Consortium boss Helen Dickinson said: “Though a month of growth is welcome news, retail is not out of the woods yet. The pandemic continues to pose huge challenges to the industry, with ongoing stores closures and job losses across the UK.
“The reopening of shops is an important step on the road to recovery, but with months of rent building up, many shops will be forced to close unless action is taken before the next Quarter Rent Day.
“The Government must remain open to further action to boost consumer demand and should take steps to support with rent costs or the industry could suffer thousands of avoidable job losses.”
