Retail sales fell unexpectedly last month partly thanks to shoppers spending more money eating out than in supermarkets, official figures show.
The 0.9% decline in sales volumes in August followed a downwardly-revised slump of 2.8% in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – and was the fourth month in a row of decline.
It painted a gloomier picture than forecast by economists – who had expected the sector to stage a partial recovery last month – and added to the sense that the overall recovery is stuttering.
Retailers have been grappling with supply chain problems resulting in some cases in empty shelves
At the same time, retailers have been grappling with supply chain problems and labour shortages – resulting in some empty shelves and inflationary pressures that could persist for months.
The ONS report cited recent data from August suggesting that 6.5% of businesses in the retail industry were unable to get the materials, goods or services they needed.
August’s retail figures…
