U.K. Retail Sales Drop In July

LONDON (AP) -- Most U.K. retailers say that sales are declining in July, though grocery and shoe stores are bucking the trend with rising volumes, the Confederation of British Industry said Tuesday.

The CBI's monthly distributive trades survey found that 47 percent of retailers said sales volumes were down, while 32 percent reported an increase.

Retail sales rose 2.5 percent in June compared to a year earlier, according to government figures. With food sales leading the way, retail sales by value increased in 10 of the past 12 months, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Still, "many retailers are having a difficult summer and no pickup is expected in August," said Andy Clarke, chairman of the CBI distributive trades panel.

"But the overall sales falls are not as heavy as we saw at the start of the year, and some retail sectors are reporting growth."