28 March 2024, 08:07
By Furniture News Jul 27, 2016

High street sales drop this summer, says CBI

Retail sales fell at the fastest pace in over four years in July, according to the CBI’s latest monthly Distributive Trades Survey.

The survey of 132 firms, of which 66 were retailers, showed that sales volumes declined more rapidly than at any time since January 2012, with weaker consumer confidence a likely factor in the immediate period following the EU referendum. Companies expect sales volumes to decline at a broadly similar pace as this month in the year to August.

Within retail, sales by grocers, and furniture and carpets stores were the main drivers of the drop in overall volumes.

Orders placed on suppliers dropped at the quickest pace since March 2009, and are expected to fall further in August.

In tandem with a weaker retail sector, volumes in wholesaling deteriorated at the fastest pace since April 2013 and are expected to fall further next month.

Meanwhile, sales within the motor trade continued to expand, albeit at slower pace than early this year.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist, comments: “While conditions in the retail sector have weakened, we should be careful about reading too much too soon, as consumers were likely to err on the side of caution in the immediate period following a vote to leave the EU.

“Current low levels of inflation and high overall employment should support consumer spending in the near term, although the impact of lower sterling is likely to feed through to higher inflation over time.

“What businesses and consumers need now is calm and decisive leadership, a clear timetable and a plan for negotiating the UK’s future outside the EU to restore confidence.”

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