Freedom day sparked a summer spending splurge as families made the most of the holidays and workers returned to the office.
Credit card spending was 15.4 per cent higher in August than in the same month in 2019, before Covid struck, data from Barclaycard revealed.
Spending on entertainment increased by 24.2 per cent thanks to more people heading out to theme parks, theatres, festivals and cinemas, while takings in bars, pubs and clubs jumped by 43.4 per cent – the biggest rise for over 17 months.
Retail therapy: Credit card spending was 15.4 per cent higher in August than in the same month in 2019, before Covid struck, data from Barclaycard revealed
The return to work and school also gave fashion retailers a welcome boost, with sales of clothing rising 12.8 per cent – the fourth consecutive month of positive growth.
Separate data also revealed the rush to the High Street resulted in a fall in online retail sales.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG found that non-food online sales dropped 4.6 per cent in August, with 38.3 per cent of sales now online compared to 42p during the same month a year earlier.
Total retail sales continued to rise in August – up 3 per cent compared to a month earlier – but the speed of growth slowed with shoppers directing more of their money towards leisure and travel.
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