England’s Lionesses delivered a boost for retailers last month as fans stocked up on food and drink for World Cup get-togethers.
The team’s progress to the final – where they suffered heartbreak at the hands of Spain – set supermarket tills ringing, helping them recover after a washout start to the summer.
Health and beauty products were also in demand in August as retail sales grew by 4.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Net gains: England’s Chloe Kelly and Alex Greenwood helped boost retailers as the team progressed to the final
The figures, compiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), represent an improvement after an increase of just 1.5 per cent in July, dampened by wet weather.
Sarah Bradbury, chief executive of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, said: ‘The progress of the Lionesses in the World Cup brought cheer to consumers and an excuse for get-togethers around game times.’
BRC boss Helen Dickinson said the report ‘reflected the improvement in consumer confidence in August’.
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