High street sales barely grew in June as the heatwave and the World Cup weighed on discretionary retail spending, according to new figures from BDO.

The firm’s latest High Street Sales Tracker found total like-for-like sales across discretionary categories rose just 0.6 per cent compared with June last year.

BDO said the figure was substantially below inflation, meaning sales volumes fell during the month.

The weak performance marked a return to the sluggish trading that has affected much of the high street this year, after stronger sales in May appeared to offer some signs of recovery.

In-store sales rose 1.4 per cent year on year, while online like-for-like sales increased 6.9 per cent.

Lifestyle and fashion were among the weakest categories. Lifestyle sales fell 0.3 per cent in June, while fashion sales edged up just 0.7 per cent compared with June 2025.

BDO head of retail and wholesale Sophie Michael said major sporting events often fail to deliver the retail uplift many expect.

“The widely held expectation is often that big sporting events like the World Cup and Olympics will encourage consumers to start splashing the cash, but our data shows quite the opposite,” she said.

Michael pointed to BDO’s data from the 2018 World Cup, when sales growth was almost flat at 0.4 per cent in the month the tournament started.

She added that during the London 2012 Olympics, high street sales actually declined 0.5 per cent.

“The World Cup may provide a welcome catalyst for increased spending in hospitality where growth has been particularly needed, but these events often come at the expense of other discretionary retail sectors, as consumers redirect their purse to leisure spending while watching the games,” Michael said.

Retailers were also hit by very hot weather during June, which BDO said had a significant impact on footfall.

Michael warned that further heatwaves could become a recurring drag on bricks-and-mortar sales during a key summer trading period.

“Retailers will no doubt be concerned that persistent very hot weather throughout the summer months could become a regular drag on their sales in bricks-and-mortar stores,” she said.

The latest figures suggest May’s stronger performance may have been a temporary boost rather than the start of a sustained recovery.

Michael said BDO had warned last month that sales growth may not be sustainable, as shoppers had previously held back on discretionary purchases.

“Unfortunately, that appears to be the case, with sales sliding back to being flat and volumes therefore falling,” she said.

BDO said retailers continued to face pressure from higher cost bases, rising energy prices and political uncertainty, all of which could be weighing on shoppers’ willingness to spend on discretionary goods.

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