Heat blamed for slow July sales

A little too much good weather cast a shadow over July's retail sales figures, with the scorching heat dissuading customers from heading for the high street.

In July, retail sales grew in volume by 4.4 per cent and in value by 4.7 per cent, down from 5.9 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively in June.

While the pleasant summer sun perked up sales in June, July's soaring temperatures kept consumers in the garden and away from the high street, analysts said. The best sectors for July's sales were food, footwear, durable household goods, booksellers and stationers.

Household goods were up from 7.7 per cent in June to 8.2 per cent in July, a figure driven mainly by outdoor products and barbecues according to Seymour Pierce analyst Rhys Williams.

'We cannot believe that big ticket items, such as£2,000 sofas, have done particularly well during that period,' commented Williams.

Sales were relatively weak in the DIY, clothing, chemist, furniture and carpet sectors. Non-store, mainly-mail order business retail, was down by 5.4 per cent.

Early expectations for August - during which the UK all-time temperature record was broken - are not good.

Analysts from CSFB's equity research team reported that data from John Lewis department stores showed that trading conditions during the heatwave became even more volatile in the first part of the month.