UK leather and footwear sales boom in June
According to the Confederation of British Industry’s latest Distributive Trades Survey, most retailers reported higher sales in June compared with last year, with particular rises being noted in footwear and leather sales.
85% of footwear and leather retailers said their sales were up on those of June 2000. Only 4% said their sales were down with 11% saying there was no difference.
However, there was a clear drop in sales of furniture, with 69% reporting a decrease or flat sales year on year, presumably because consumers were waiting for the start of the summer sales. 55% of all retailers responding to the survey said their sales were up in June compared with a year ago.
Figures released simultaneously by the UK Office of National Statistics show that there was a 5.1% decrease in output by the textiles, leather and clothing industries in the three month period to May, with manufacturing output overall falling by 0.9% during the same period.
