British consumer spending on items categorised as 'delayable' - such as clothing, furniture and cars - fell last week to its lowest since February as spending on petrol surged, according to official data on Thursday based on credit and debt card usage.

The Office for National Statistics said spending on delayables fell to 80% of its pre-pandemic February 2020 average level in the week to July 21, compared with 86% in the week before.

The figures are not adjusted for inflation, which hit a 40-year high of 9.4% in June. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by David Milliken)


Reuters