Retail Sales See Uptick Amid Errors and Delays as ONS Faces Scrutiny

Published: 05 September. the English Chronicle Desk. English Chronicle Online

Retail sales in Great Britain experienced a modest increase in July, bolstered by warm weather and the excitement surrounding the Euro 2025 women’s football tournament, according to newly released official data. However, the figures were overshadowed by repeated errors and delays from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), deepening concerns over the reliability of the country’s economic data.

The ONS acknowledged the mistakes and apologised for the two-week delay in publishing the July retail sales figures. Adding to the confusion, the statistics agency issued an incorrect link to a blog by a senior executive outlining the need for organisational improvement.

According to the corrected figures, retail sales volumes rose by 0.6% month on month in July, outperforming the 0.2% increase forecasted by economists. This follows a revised growth of 0.3% in June, reflecting a steady, if unsteady, trend in consumer spending. Analysts attributed the rise in part to sunny weather and strong sales of clothing and merchandise related to the Lionesses’ success in the Euro 2025 tournament.

James Benford, the ONS’s incoming director general for economic, social, and environmental statistics, highlighted that the delay and the need for corrections underscored the importance of prioritising resources to enhance the quality and transparency of economic statistics. Benford, who joined the ONS in June to lead a turnaround plan, said: “I apologise for the delay to this release, and for the errors in how we have been seasonally adjusting these data. Our annual review found that figures had not been properly adjusted for seasonality, which overstated monthly volatility in retail sales during the first half of the year.”

Industry sources reflected the impact of seasonal shopping trends, with Deann Evans, a senior executive at Shopify, reporting that sales of school uniforms surged nearly 500% month on month in July ahead of the new academic year. The ONS noted that supermarkets, sports shops, and household goods stores saw strong sales at the start of the year, though spending has generally slowed since March. Benford added that the newly revised figures reveal a similar overall pattern of three-month growth, but with less pronounced month-to-month fluctuations.

The repeated data errors at the ONS have intensified scrutiny in the lead-up to the UK autumn budget, scheduled for 26 November. Economists and policymakers are concerned that inaccuracies in official statistics could undermine public confidence and complicate fiscal planning at a critical time for the economy.