Retail sales in central London in June were an impressive 14.4% higher on a like-for-like basis than a year ago, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Food sales growth held up, but clothing and footwear sales were mixed. The hot weather and clearance events helped, but some people had already bought in May’s sun.
The World Cup drove TV sales but indoor homewares suffered as minds turned to outdoor leisure in the sunny weather.
Stephen Robertson, director general at BRC, said: “These are impressive results – the strongest London sales growth since October 2006. The heat and sports events meant fewer people were out shopping in central London, but they were spending more per visit.
“Customers in the capital are less pessimistic than the rest of the UK and significantly less so than this time last year. The weak pound is still attracting tourists. Clearance sales were another major factor. Many were earlier so new season ranges were ready for Middle Eastern visitors before they return home for an earlier Ramadan.
“Economic uncertainty combined with the VAT increase and public sector job cuts on the way, suggest growth of this magnitude is unlikely to continue.”
Source: British Retail Consortium (BRC)
