UK retail sales volumes surged 1.0% mom in August, significantly outpacing the expected 0.3% mom growth. This marked the highest sales index level since July 2022. Over the broader three-month period ending in August, sales volumes increased by 1.2% compared to the previous three months.
On an annual basis, sales volumes jumped 2.5% yoy, marking the largest annual rise since February 2022. However, despite these strong gains, retail sales volumes remain -0.4% below their pre-pandemic levels from February 2020.