Jubilee a washout as downpours keep shoppers away
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Jubilee celebrations were a damp squib for retailers as high street sales fell well short of hopes despite desperate price slashing, according to official figures.
Sales grew a meagre 0.1 per cent in June, well below City expectations, as record downpours kept shoppers away, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The Jubilee holiday "appears not to have had a significant impact on retail sales", the ONS said.
The figures showed food sales down 0.7 per cent over the month as the rain forced households to leave the barbecues rusting in the shed.
Clothing and footwear fared strongest, up 2.5 per cent.
The ONS sales deflator, which shows how much prices have risen in the past year, slowed to 0.3 per cent during June, down from 1.2 per cent in May.
Markit chief economist Chris Williamson said: "Many hoped the Queen's Diamond Jubilee was going to boost sales.
"However, this appears to not have been the case, or if it did it was offset by households pulling back on spending elsewhere."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments