A heatwave and the men’s World Cup drove up consumer spending in Britain ​in June, according to data published on Tuesday.

Barclays ‌and the British Retail Consortium said the hot weather boosted sales of clothing, electrical fans and air-conditioning units ​while pubs reported strong trade on England’s matchdays ​at the World Cup.

The reports showed:

  • The BRC’s ⁠measure of total retail sales rose by 1.9 per cent ​in June compared with June 2025, in line with ​its 12-month average
  • Non-food sales grew by 1.2 per cent, double the 12-month average increase and helped by online shopping, BRC said
  • Sarah ​Bradbury, chief executive of the Institute of Grocery ​Distribution, said hot weather and the World Cup could boost confidence in ‌July again ⁠but political uncertainty and the impact of the Iran war on food prices posed risks further ahead
  • Barclays’ broader gauge of consumer spending also rose by ​1.9 per cent with ​growth in ⁠essential spending up by 2.2 per cent, its biggest increase in 14 months
  • Travel spending stabilised ​after big falls in April and ​May when ⁠the industry was hit by worries about the Iran war
  • Barclays’ measure of consumers’ confidence in their finances ⁠stabilised
  • The ​BRC survey covered the period ​of May 31-July 4 while the Barclays spending data was May ​23-June 19.