Celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee helped put the brakes on falling UK retail sales, official figures show.
Street parties, pageants and parades were held over a four-day weekend at the start of June, bringing communities together and, crucially for the economy, spending money.
Food sales recorded a significant boost as retails sales fell by 0.1 per cent, the Office for National Statistics said.
However, the boost in the food trade was more than offset by another slump in fuel sales.
A consensus of economists had predicted a 0.2 per cent fall in the latest monthly reading.
It came after a heavier than previously thought slump in retail sales in May, with the ONS revising down its original prediction of a 0.5 per cent decline to a fall of 0.8 per cent.
Inflation is currently at 9.4 per cent, with a 50 basis points increase in the Bank of England's interest rate expected to come soon.
Heather Bovill, ONS deputy director for surveys and economic indicators, said: “After taking account of rising prices, retail sales fell slightly in June and although they remain above their pre-pandemic level, the broader trend is one of decline.
“After a fall in May, food sales picked up due to the jubilee celebrations, but this was the only sector to report an increase.
“Fuel sales fell back considerably with retailers reporting the record high prices at the pump hitting sales.
“Clothing purchases dipped along with household goods, with retailers suggesting consumers [were] cutting back on spending owing to higher prices and concerns around affordability.”
Food store sales volumes increased by 3.1 per cent, picking up following a recent downward trend for the sector as more people returned to restaurants following the easing of pandemic restrictions.
In previous months, retailers had highlighted a decline in volumes because of the increased cost of products and pressure on household bills.
Sales at non-food stores dropped by 0.7 per cent for the month, driven by a 4.7 per cent drop in sales volumes at clothing stores, while household goods were down 3.7 per cent.
Fuel sales also saw a particularly sharp drop for the month, falling 4.3 per cent in response to a record jump in petrol prices in June.
The sales decline was the biggest since October last year, when labour shortages and supply constraints led to shortages at forecourts across the UK.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: “The cost-of-living crunch caused by record inflation continue to damage consumer confidence and stifle household spending.
“Discretionary spending and particularly bigger purchases were put off as consumers become increasingly concerned about the future.”
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The most recent official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle, was for her platinum jubilee. The image is part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition, on view at Windsor Castle until September 26. Photo: Ranald Mackechnie -
This portrait, issued by the Royal Collection Trust, was taken by photographer Dorothy Wilding in 1952, and is featured in the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Accession exhibition, on view at Buckingham Palace until October 2. Photo: Royal Collection Trust -
This portrait of Queen Elizabeth by British artist Lucian Freud was finished in 2001 and caused an outcry. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Reuters -
The monarch was featured in Andy Warhol's 'Reigning Queens' series of portraits created in 1985. The pop art print, although not officially commissioned, was later brought into the Royal Collection. The image is a part of Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Royal Collection Trust -
This image of Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day on June 2, 1953, was taken by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, and remains one of the most famous portraits of the monarch. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Royal Collection Trust -
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II painted by Pietro Annigoni, was finished in 1956 and commissioned by the Fishmongers Company in the City of London. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. PA -
Michael Leonard's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was painted for her 60th birthday, and commissioned by 'Reader's Digest'. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Reader's Digest / Shutterstock -
Nigerian artist Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy painted this portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was commissioned by the Commonwealth to mark her 2002 golden jubilee on March 10, 2002. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Royal Collection Trust -
Artist Chris Levine made headlines with his controversial portrait titled 'Lightness of Being', which shows the queen with her eyes closed. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Royal Collection Trust -
The 1963 plaster cast known as the 'Dressed Head' by Arnold Machin, provided the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to be used on British stamps from 1967. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Getty Images -
This recent portrait of the monarch titled 'Algorithm Queen', was painted by an ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist called Ai-Da Robot for the platinum jubilee. -
Ralph Heimans's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was commissioned to mark her 60 years on the throne and hung in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. The image is a part of the Platinum Jubilee: The Queen's Coronation exhibition. Photo: Dean and Chapter of Westminster / AFP
