2019.09.1905:16:00UTC+00UK Retail Sales Fall Unexpectedly In August

UK retail sales fell unexpectedly in August, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Thursday.

Retail sales including auto fuel dropped 0.2 percent month-on-month, while economists had forecast the volume to remain flat.

Excluding auto fuel, retail sales decreased 0.3 percent on month, in line with expectations.

Food stores and non-food store sales gained 0.2 percent each in August. On a yearly basis, sales volume including fuel advanced 2.7 percent versus forecast of 2.8 percent. This was a slowdown compared to the stronger growth experienced earlier in the year which peaked at 6.7 percent in March.

Sales that exclude auto fuel advanced 2.2 percent annually, slightly slower than the expected 2.3 percent increase.