Britain’s supermarkets are winning the summer spending battle — as food sales surge while shoppers turn their backs on non-food purchases. Food sales jumped 3.8% year-on-year in July, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, making groceries one of the strongest areas of consumer spending during the month. While food sales climbed 3.8%, non-food sales fell 0.7%. Overall UK retail sales increased just 1.3% year-on-year, showing that supermarkets and food retailers were doing much of the work in keeping consumer spending moving. Food sales are growing strongly, but retailers selling furniture, electronics and other big-ticket products are facing a much tougher environment.