On a total basis, retail sales increased by 0.3% in the month to July 27, against an increase of 1.6% the previous year. Like-for-like sales increased 0.1%, down from a 0.5% uplift the previous year, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.

Despite returning to positive growth, the 0.3% sales uplift still represented “the lowest figure recorded for the month of July” since the monitor began in 1995 and “comes after the worst June on record”.

More widely, non-food sales slumped by 2% on a like-for-like basis and 2.1% on a total basis, over the three months to July.