July 23rd, 2009

Sales in UK shops shot up 1.2% in June following a sharp fall in May as hot summer weather boosted clothing purchases, official figures show.

The jump was much more than the 0.3% rise expected by economists. Retail sales had fallen 0.9% in May.

The Office for National Statistics said that sales rose 2.9% from June 2008.

Shops have also brought forward their summer sales, which along with the effects of last month’s heatwave, enticed consumers to spend.

The much better-than-expected figures lend support to the view that the UK is now over the worst of the recession.

Economic growth figures due on Friday are expected to show that the economy shrank around 0.4% between April and June, compared with 2.4% in the first three months of the year.