Official figures show that retail sales in Britain tumbled in June to record the biggest monthly drop for 22 years.
On a monthly basis, retail sales sank by 3.9% in June from May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. That was the heaviest monthly fall since 1986.
This compared with an upwardly-revised increase of 3.6% in May. On a 12-month basis, retail sales rose by 2.2% in June, compared with the figure for the same month in 2007, the ONS added.
Clothing and footwear shops were the worst hit in June, with sales down 6.9%. Food sales also fell 3.6%, the biggest drop since record began.
