Rain dampens British retail spending last month

British retail spending grew at a slower annual rate in July after recording some of the fastest growth in two years the month before, as wet weather caused Britons to put barbecue plans on hold.

The British Retail Consortium, an industry body, said retail spending rose 2.2% year-on-year last month — near its long-run average — after rising 2.9% in June.

Food sales suffered a rare fall after wetter weather than in 2014 knocked spending on barbecue items, but spending on furniture and other household goods grew strongly, which the BRC attributed to a continued rise in house prices.