There is welcome news for retailers across the United Kingdom – retail sales continue to see strong increases, as consumers and businesses alike regain their confidence in the economy. Sales volumes have risen throughout the past few months, leading analysts to expect more growth during the coming months leading up the holiday shopping season.

The Telegraph reported that data from the British Retail Consortium revealed that July's retail sales increased 2.2 percent year-over-year, marking the "best performance" since 2006. Analysts speculate that warmer weather, coupled with economic improvement and boosts in consumer confidence, resulted in the sales uptick as shoppers flocked to stores and websites to browse for and purchase merchandise last month.

The source explained that clothing and food retailers saw the most sales growth in July, followed by home improvement products, appliances and outdoor gear.

Separate data from the Office of National Statistics revealed that the quantity of retail merchandise bought also climbed in July, Stock Market Wire reported. When compared to July 2012, product quantity rose 3 percent. The source also noted that estimated weekly spending throughout all retail sectors increased to £7 billion from July 2012's figure of £6.7 billion.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, August 15th, 2013 at 11:18 am .