Credit: Shutterstock/Zeynep Demir AslimOverall, retail sales in July increased 1.3% year-on-year, below the 12-month average of 1.8%. Overall non-food sales decreased by 0.7% year-on-year, below the 12-month average growth of 0.4%, and in-store non-food sales decreased 1.9%, below the 12-month average decline of 0.2%. However, online non-food sales increased by 1.3% year-on-year, compared with a 12-month average increase of 1.6%, while the share of non-food sales taking place online rose to 35.9%, up from 35.4% in July 2025. The news follows a similar pattern seen in June 2026, when retail sales “maintained momentum”, defying a drop in physical footfall as a record heatwave kept shoppers indoors. “With spend focused on summer-related purchasing, other non-food categories fared less well – limiting total non-food sales growth overall.”