As the Royal Meteorological Institute announced that June was the wettest this year since 1966, the retail industry reported a fall in sales of 7%, with 60% of all shops selling less in the spring than last year. In April, retailers had estimated sales up 5% on the first quarter of 2011, which makes the slide in May and June even more remarkable.

Also according to the sales survey, 64% of shops plan to start the sales with a 30% discount. Meanwhile, 29% expect the sales period to bring in less than it did in 2011, with 53% anticipating the same turnover; only 18% are looking forward to better sales.