Retail spending rose by 2.3% year-on-year in June, with a boost from "beers, barbeques and big TVs."GETTY IMAGES
Football "may be coming home, but it is also sending Britain's consumers out on to the streets," with figures revealing "a boom in spending in pubs and garden centres last month," according to Tom Knowles of the LONDON TIMES. Retail spending rose by 2.3% in June compared with the same month last year after receiving a boost from "beers, barbeques and big TVs" because of the World Cup, a report from the British Retail Consortium concluded. The figure was lower than the 4.1% growth in spending recorded in May, which was a four-year high, but was "significantly above the 12-month average" of 1.5%, "marking a continued turnaround from a weak first four months of the year." Barclaycard Dir Esme Harwood said, "Consumer spending maintained its strong growth in June for the second month in a row. As the warm weather continues and World Cup fever sets in, it's clear many households are prioritizing fun in the sun" (LONDON TIMES, 7/10).
