British retail sales suffered their sharpest monthly fall in six months in June, with officials citing poor weather hurting clothing sales rather than any impact from the vote to leave the European Union.
Retailers had not reported any anecdotal evidence of the unexpected result of the June 23 referendum affecting sales during the five-week period which ended July 5, the Office for National Statistics said.
While department stores got a boost from sales around the Euro 2016 soccer tournament and Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, clothing stores suffered another poor month after unusually changeable weather.