UK retail sales were up for the month of June, new data from the Office for National Statistics revealed on Thursday.
The quantity bought in June was up 1% when compared with May, and growth was particularly driven by non-food stores.
In the three months to June, the quantity bought was up 0.7%. Growth occurred across all sectors apart from food stores and department stores.
The Office for National Statistics said, however, that this was a slowdown compared to the stronger growth of 1.6% in the three months to May.
The data also reveals that online sales as a proportion of all retailing fell to 18.9% in June, down from the 19.3% reported in May.
Whilst department stores continued to struggle, second-hand stores such as charity shops and antique dealers were among some of the largest contributors to the growth.
Department stores were the only sector to reveal a decline in the non-food stores category at -0.2% for the amount spent and -0.4% for the quantity bought. June was the sixth consecutive month-on-month decline for department stores, according to the data.
As the UK high street crises takes its toll on stores, businesses have been struggling amid store closes and staff cuts.
The British department store House of Fraser was saved last year by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct in a £90 million deal.
Before the deal, the department store had announced that it was going into administration.
Elsewhere in retail, online company ASOS (LON:ASC) also made headlines on Thursday after it issued its third profit warning in the past seven months, sending shares down.
