# Retail sales weaken in July as demand for clothing falls back

By Susannah Streeter — 2026-08-21

Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, insists the hot weather had a big impact on declining retail sales in July.

She said: “It’s clear that consumers are less confident, reining in purchases as higher bills land.

“The latest snapshot of retail sales showed, as expected, a drop in July, as the jump in the energy price cap pushed up household costs and shoppers grew weary under the intense heat.

“Trips to high streets as temperatures rocketed were a turn off, and there was even less browsing online amid the hot weather bomb as people sought to cool off in the shade.

“It also seems that promotions in June, sucked in sales, leading to a vacuum in July, with discretionary items like furniture and footwear particularly hard to shift.

“Nice to have but not essential expenditure falls by the wayside when consumers are facing an uphill climb to stick to budgets.

“The feelgood factor around the World Cup did help give some lift to food sales, but the picture painted in this snapshot is of a less resilient consumer, particularly given the one per cent uplift in sales in June, being revised down to 0.7 per cent.”

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