Retail sales boosted by July heatwave

Retail sales enjoyed their fastest July growth in seven years, thanks to the month's heatwave, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

On a like-for-like basis, the BRC said sales had been up 2.2% compared with last year.

It said that the summer had seen the return of a "feel-good factor", spawned by a series of sporting triumphs, including Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory and the start of the Ashes series, as well as the arrival of the royal baby.

Simon Gompertz reports.

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