Britain's retail sales volumes fall by 2.5 percent in July despite COVID restrictions lift
August 20, 2021, 3:25 pm

Britain's retail sales volumes fall by 2.5 percent in July despite COVID restrictions lift

The Xinhua reported that British Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Friday, the Britain's retail sales volumes fell by 2.5 percent in July from June despite the lift of coronavirus restrictions, but still 5.8 percent higher than the pre-pandemic levels in February last year.

The ONS said, Food store sales volumes dropped monthly by 1.5 percent in July, following an increase in the previous month when sales were boosted by the Euro 2020 football championship, while non-food stores sales volumes plunged by 4.4 percent in July compared with June.

The ONS data showed, automotive fuel sales volumes decreased by 2.9 percent over the month, marking the first monthly fall since February 2021.

"Disappointing 2.5 percent m/m fall in UK retail sales in July is hard to explain," said British independent economist Julian Jessop, adding that "hopefully just reflects end of Euros, diversion of spending to hospitality etc. as COVID restrictions lifted, and bad weather. But perhaps also shortages of some goods due to global supply chain problems."

Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, an economic research consultancy, said he wouldn't attribute July's fall to people returning to restaurants. "Non-food sales fell more than food. Disruption and fear caused by the Delta (coronavirus variant first identified in Indian) wave was the dominant driver."

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Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said the lifting of restrictions "did not bring the anticipated in-store boost, with the wet weather leaving consumers reluctant to visit shopping destinations."

England lifted almost all its remaining COVID-19 restrictions since July 19. More than 87 percent of people aged 16 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 75 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.

Source: xinhua

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”