Monthly sales figures are up for July, despite a dismal start to the financial year the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is reporting.
The report claims that retail sales were up 0.8% in July, a total contrast from the 3.9% fall in June. However the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has disputed the news, noting that the ONS survey measures the volume of sales not the values.
‘Consumer confidence remains low, unemployment is rising and the housing market weakening,’ Stephen Robertson, BRC director general told the BBC.
‘It's hard to see what could produce the sales growth boost ONS are reporting or their finding that smaller retailers are outperforming larger ones,’ he added.
Many are now claiming that the figures do not represent a pick-up in growth or consumer confidence, suggesting the following months will see sales weaken further.
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