A RUSH on electric fans, barbecues and paddling pools saved retailers from a difficult July, official figures showed.
Analysts expected the month to be a washout on the High Street, but a scramble for hot weather gear buoyed the sector.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), retail sales fell by 0.4 per cent on the month compared with June's 1.9 per cent surge. Against the same month last year, sales were 4.4 per cent higher in July.
Andrij Halushka, economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said: "July's fall in retail sales may have more to do with this summer's weather than with anything else."
The weather distortion means that analysts were looking for the three-month figures for a clearer picture of retail sales progress.
John Butler, economist at HSBC, said: "A better guide of the health of the consumer is that retail sales over the past three months are up 1.4 per cent, or 5.6 per cent on an annualised basis."
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