It was a bad month for clothing stores as the month of August cooled off from the unseasonably warm weather. However, the retail sales figures were offset by the increase in online sales, yet again. Phil Mullis, Partner and Head of Retail and Wholesale at leading accountancy firm, Wilkins Kennedy, said: “As the weather became more changeable, clothing retailers on the high street really suffered. “Online sales continued to show strong growth and year on year, the sector has experienced an increase of 2%. It just goes to show that spend is gravitating towards online, as opposed to the high street. However, increases in quantity bought from the food and household sectors have kept the figures afloat.”