Washout July hits High Street with fashion retailers struggling to flog summer clothes

THE washout summer dampened retail sales last month, with volumes falling sharply by 1.2 per cent in July compared with June, according to official figures.

Economists had expected a much smaller slip of just 0.5 per cent before the sixth wettest July on record.

Fashion retailers struggled to sell summer outfits on grey days, while homeware chains were forced to discount garden furniture.

The rise of discounting also meant the value of retail sales fell by 1 per cent in July.

Poor weather also caused online sales to rise for the first time in months to 27.4 per cent of purchases, as more people shopped from their smartphone rather than heading out in the rain.

Sachin Jangam of Infosys Consulting said: “In the short term we’ll see retailers ramp up the promotion of goods to get rid of summer stock and make quick sales.”

Danni Hewson of analysts AJ Bell said: “Slowing sales would normally be a sign of consumer stress but this feels more like a weather blip.”

Sole Bliss Dame fine

BRITISH shoe brand Sole Bliss has found there’s nothing like a dame for a sales boost, thanks to the likes of Dame Joanna Lumley.

Sales have risen 60 per cent in the past year to £8million.

Other fans of the shoe brand for bunions include Dame Lesley Lawson — better known as Twiggy — plus Dame Judi Dench, Dame Mary Berry and Dame Helen Mirren, who recently wore a pair on the Cannes red carpet.