The British Retail Consortium's total retail sales measure rose by a below-average 1.3% from July 2025, slowing from 1.9% in June. Barclays ReportBarclays' gauge of broader consumer spending rose by 2.0%, slightly faster than June's 1.9% increase. Travel spending was skewed towards domestic 'staycations' with airline spending down 6%. The BRC survey covered the period of 5 July - 1 August, while the Barclays spending data was 20 June - 23 July. ADVERTISEMENT'Rising Operating Costs'Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said, “Consumer demand has struggled in the heat, leaving retailers facing a challenging start to the second half of the year.