// Retail sales in June increased after record declines in March and April
// Sales rose 1.5% year-on-year over the month, and were up 1.7% by volume
Total retails sales have returned to a similar level as before the Covid-19 crisis, as June saw ecommerce channels continue to trade well.
Sales, excluding fuel, rose 1.5 per cent year-on-year over the month and were up 1.7 per cent by volume, according to the ONS.
This marked the second consecutive month of strong growth following record declines in March and April.
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Month on month, the increases were 13.1 per cent and 13.5 per cent respectively.
However, on a three-month basis, sales were down 7.2 per cent by value.
The ONS said the increases during May and June have brought total sales back in line with pre-Covid levels – although when compared with February, the amount of sales was down by a mere 0.6 per cent.
While non-food stores and fuel sales during the month of June increased with sales at 45.5 per cent and 21.5 per cent respectively, sales levels have still not bounced back from the continued declines seen in March and April.
However, food stores and ecommerce reached similar levels as the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with grocery sales up 5.3 per cent and non-store sales 53.6 per cent higher, than February.
Online sales dropped to 31.8 per cent in June when compared with the record 33.3 per cent reported in May, but remains up on the 20 per cent recorded in February.
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