Data from the National Office for Statistics shows that department store sales have risen by 0.2% in July which was the first rise of the year. This took place in a month where Amazon Prime Day took place on 15 July 2019 and the city economists predicted a 0.2% decline.
Statistics:
- In the three months to July, retail sales rose by 0.5% when compared with the previous three months, down from 0.7% growth previously.
- Office for National Statistics have found that department stores rose 1.6%, reversing their decline through sales of clothes.
High street retail stores are struggling due to a slow shift in customers shopping habits as more customers are now shopping online. Non-store shopping like internet shopping on sites such as Amazon have increased by 6.9% last month.
Rhian Murphy, the ONS head of retail sales, said increased only modestly in the past three months. “Although still declining across the quarter, there was an increase in sales for department stores in July for the first time this year,” she said. “Strong online sales growth on the month was driven by promotions.”
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