Retail sales returned to growth in August after a decrease in July when shoppers were put off by the wet weather.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a 0.4% rise in retail sales volumes, compared with an upwardly revised fall of 1.1% a month earlier.
The recovery was driven by a partial bounce back in food and a strong month for clothing, said Heather Bovill, ONS deputy director for Surveys and Economic Indicators.
Food stores sales volumes rose by 1.2%, recovering part of the 2.6% fall in the previous month, while clothing store sales grew by 2.3% after a drop of 2.9% in July.
Sales also improved in hardware and furniture stores, but department stores and other non-food stores, such as bookshops, saw a 0.4% decline as consumers continued to struggle with higher prices and living costs.
Fuel sales also fell, likely due to price rises at the pump.
The RAC said this week that petrol has gone up 10p a litre and diesel nearly 13p since the start of August, adding £5.50 to the cost of a full tank of petrol and £7 for diesel.
