UK retail sales up 0.2% in August

UK retail sales volume rose by 0.2% in August, helped by sales of clothing, particularly school uniforms, according to the Office for National Statistics.

After a couple of months of weak growth, the figures showed sales were up 3.7% compared with last year.

The ONS said school uniforms boosted sales for small stores, while "the growth in large stores was coming from online".

Wage rises combined with low inflation have helped boost consumer spending.

The ONS said sales of textiles, clothing and footwear jumped 2.3% in August, the biggest rise since April. The same sector was up 1.9% compared with last year.

Sales volumes at food stores fell 0.9% last month, posing the biggest drag on overall retail sales figures, but they were up 0.8% from a year ago.

Retailers said the drop in food sales in August reflected large numbers of people going away on holiday, even after seasonal adjustments had been factored in.