British retail sales rebound

Retail sales in Britain rebounded last month as a rise in clothes and household goods purchases helped to offset a record fall in food store sales, official data showed on Thursday. The Office for National Statistics said in a statement that total retail sales volumes grew by 0.7 percent in June from the level in May, when they had slumped by 1.4 percent. June's rebound was in-line with market forecasts. Retail sales meanwhile increased by 0.4 percent in June compared with 12 months earlier, the ONS added. It said that food store sales volumes plunged by a record 4.2 percent in June compared with 12 months earlier as high inflation sent food prices soaring. The drop in food store sales was offset by a rise in sales of clothes and household goods, whose prices were reduced.