British retail sales suffered their worst monthly fall in six months in June as wet weather dampened appetite for summer clothing.
Described by one economist as a “taste of weakness to come” following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, retail sales volumes fell 0.9 per cent between May and June, a greater fall than the 0.6 per cent drop markets had been expecting.
Events such as the Queen’s 90th birthday and the Euro 2016 football championship helped boost sales in department stores, but the 39 per cent extra rainfall seen in June caused havoc for clothing retailers who saw a 6.1 per cent fall in their sales volumes.
The data was collected between May 29 and July 2, meaning a quarter of the period
