UK Retail Sales Growth Softens in June

2026-07-13 23:17 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

UK retail sales rose by 1.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in June 2026, falling short of market expectations for a 2.9% gain, slowing from a 3.4% increase in May and marking the softest growth since February.

Despite the slowdown, spending was supported by the men's FIFA World Cup and a prolonged heatwave, which boosted demand for clothing, electric fans, air-conditioning units, food and beverages, while pubs also benefited from England's matchdays.

Non-food sales increased 1.2%, double their 12-month average, helped by the strongest online sales penetration of 2026 as soaring temperatures discouraged shoppers from visiting physical stores.

Barclays' broader measure of consumer spending also rose 1.9%, with essential spending up 2.2%, the strongest increase in 14 months, while travel spending stabilized after earlier declines.

Still, the British Retail Consortium warned that political uncertainty and the impact of the Iran conflict could weigh on spending in the months ahead.



News Stream
UK Retail Sales Growth Softens in June
UK retail sales rose by 1.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in June 2026, falling short of market expectations for a 2.9% gain, slowing from a 3.4% increase in May and marking the softest growth since February. Despite the slowdown, spending was supported by the men's FIFA World Cup and a prolonged heatwave, which boosted demand for clothing, electric fans, air-conditioning units, food and beverages, while pubs also benefited from England's matchdays. Non-food sales increased 1.2%, double their 12-month average, helped by the strongest online sales penetration of 2026 as soaring temperatures discouraged shoppers from visiting physical stores. Barclays' broader measure of consumer spending also rose 1.9%, with essential spending up 2.2%, the strongest increase in 14 months, while travel spending stabilized after earlier declines. Still, the British Retail Consortium warned that political uncertainty and the impact of the Iran conflict could weigh on spending in the months ahead.
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