Economics

U.K. Retail Sales Rise, Giving Some Good News to Bruised Sector

U.K. Shoppers Back To The High Street As Retail Sales Surge — Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

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By Fergal O'Brien and Manas Pratap Singh

August 21, 2020 at 6:11 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

U.K. retail sales rose more than economists forecast, giving a battered sector a brief respite from a litany of bad news.

Sales increased 2% in July from June, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. Non-food sales jumped 10%, though they remain below their pre-virus level. Total volumes, including fuel, climbed above their pre-pandemic levels.