Statistical bulletin: Retail Sales, August 2015

• Main points
• About this release
• Main figures
• Sector summary
• Internet sales in detail
• Focus on large and small businesses 
• Contributions to growth
• Distribution analysis
• Economic context 
• International data 
• Background notes
• Statistical contacts

Main Points

• Continuing a sustained period of year-on-year growth, the volume of retail sales in August 2015 is estimated to have increased by 3.7% compared with August 2014. This was the 29th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.
• The underlying pattern in the data, as suggested by the 3 month on 3 month movement in the quantity bought, showed growth for the 30th consecutive month, increasing by 0.4%. 
• Compared with July 2015, the quantity bought in the retail industry is estimated to have increased by 0.2%. 
• Average store prices (including petrol stations) fell by 3.3% in August 2015 compared with August 2014; the 14th consecutive month of year-on-year price falls.
• The amount spent in the retail industry increased by 0.2% in August 2015 compared with August 2014, but decreased by 0.3% compared with July 2015. 
• The value of online sales increased by 7.4% in August 2015 compared with August 2014, but decreased by 2.7% compared with July 2015. 
• Revisions in this release were caused by the incorporation of late data. The earliest revisions point for current price, non-seasonally adjusted data was August 2014. More information on revisions can be found in the background notes.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.1.0.