LONDON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain's retail sales fell 3.9 percent in June after registering an unexpected rise of 3.6 percent in May, official figures showed on Thursday.
The reversal in June is the steepest monthly decrease since the retail sales data series began in 1986, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Analysts had expected a decline, with consumer spending squeezed by rising fuel bills and food costs.
The fall cut the annual growth rate in retail sales to 2.2 percent, according to the ONS.
In June, sales by both predominantly food stores and non-food stores witnessed their sharpest falls since records began, with the former dropping by 3.6 percent and the latter 4.5 percent.
