Marks & Spencer was one of the big chains that suffered from a change in consumer habits and plans to shed 7,000 rolesRetail sales rose above their pre-coronavirus levels in July, the first full month that shops selling non-essential goods had been open since the country went into lockdown in March. The better-than-expected 3.6 per cent rise in volumes followed double-digit percentage rises in May and June and a record 18.1 per cent drop in April. Jonathan Athow, the deputy national statistician, said: “Retail sales have now regained all the ground lost during the height of the coronavirus restrictions as more stores open for trade and online sales remain at historically high levels.”The unexpectedly strong figures — economists had forecast a rise of 1.4 per cent — have put retail sales 3 per cent above the February pre-pandemic levels and reflect a release of pent-up demand

Source: The Times August 21, 2020 07:52 UTC