But there are fears that June could be a blip as the three-month average growth has been slower (at 0.7% compared to 1.6% in the previous three months) and economists are saying that the UK economy could even have shrunk in Q2.Year-on-year sales by volume rose 3.8% across the UK and by value they were up 4.3%, which is thankfully higher than inflation.

The figures came from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and they mixed good news and bad. For instance, they showed that “department stores continued their steady decline” with a 0.2%.But the fashion sector was stronger than it has been of late with rises that may not have been spectacular or reversed the falls seen in May, but at least the sector showed that retailer clearance sale markdowns are getting through to consumers. The ONS said predominantly non-food stores, which includes department stores, textiles shops, clothing and footwear retailers and household goods stores, saw a 1.7% volume rise and a 1.8% value increase. Specific textile, clothing and footwear stores saw a 1.2% volume rise and a 1.5% increase by value.“Feedback from retailers suggested this was a consequence of consumers reacting well to summer sales following a slow uptake in the previous month,” the ONS added.