The survey of 115 firms, of which 59 were retailers, showed that the volume of sales and orders placed upon suppliers grew modestly - exceeding expectations in both cases - in the year to June. Overall, sales for the time of year were considered to be broadly in line with seasonal norms.

Looking ahead, however, growth in volumes of sales is expected to stall in the year to July, while orders are also expected to be flat.

Within the retail sector, grocers and non-store sectors performed particularly strongly. Internet sales volumes also picked in the year to June, with growth broadly in line with the long-run average, but retailers expect somewhat slower growth in the year to July.