By Linda Young

London, United Kingdom

Retail spending in the United Kingdom slowed in August because of weak consumer confidence coupled with high inflation, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Consumers failed to spend on high-ticket items and non-essential purchases.

Total sales rose only 1.5 percent in August compared to a 2.8 percent increase in August 2010.

However, when not counting new store sales, the BRC said sales at existing stores fell 0.6 percent in August compared to a year earlier.

Although there was initial speculation that the riots in August might affect retail sales, BRC found that the riots were not to blame for the slowdown in sales and that they had little impact on the numbers.

 

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World - UK Retail Spending Down | Global Viewpoint