LONDON: British retail sales rebounded in July, official data showed on Thursday, as the food sector won a major boost from sunny weather and the World Cup.

Sales rose 0.7 per cent last month, rebounding from a 0.5pc drop in June, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

The tills kept ringing despite a string of high-street retailer collapses, including budget chain Poundworld and electrical specialist Maplin – and more recently department store House of Fraser.

ONS senior statistician Rhian Murphy said that retail sales were also lifted by online price reductions.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2018