UK retail sales volumes in June 2023 increased by 0.7% from May 2023, driven by unusually hot weather and a rebound in food sales.

Data provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that sales grew across all the main sectors including food, non-food and non-store retailing (except automotive fuel) during the month.

Sales volumes for non-food stores rose by 1% in June 2023, after a drop of 0.5% in May 2023.

Within non-food stores, sales volumes in department stores and household goods grew by 1.9% and 1.4%, respectively, in June, while sales volumes for clothing stores fell by 0.4%.

During the month, sales volumes for food stores sales returned to growth at 0.7%, after witnessing a fall of 0.4% in May 2023.

Sales volumes for non-store retailing grew 0.2% in June, following a rise of 2.4% in May 2023.

The proportion of online sales fell from 26.5% in May 2023 to 26% in June 2023.

Affected by the monthly falls in clothing and food stores, online spending values fell by 0.5% in June 2023.

ONS figures also revealed that automotive fuel stores sales volumes decreased by 0.3% in June 2023, after increasing 1.7% a month ago.

In the three months to June, retail sales volumes were up 0.4% compared with the three months to March 2023.

Sky News quoted ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner as saying: "Retail sales grew strongly, with food sales bouncing back from the effects of the extra bank holiday, partly helped by good weather, and department stores and furniture shops also having a strong month.

"However, these were partially offset by falls in fuel, garden centres and clothes shops. Growth still fell on an annual basis but at its slowest rate since the beginning of the Ukraine war."

Recently, data from the British Retail Consortium revealed that total retail sales in the UK grew by 4.9% in June 2023.