It has been reported by the BBC that retail sales enjoyed a springtime bounceback, with growth in High Street sales from April to June making it the best three months on record, industry body figures indicate.
Sales in the period rose 28.4% from a year ago, and were up 10.4% from 2019.
June's sunny weather and the Euro 2020 tournament helped to boost trade, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.
But the BRC warned that many retailers still faced "strong headwinds" as the UK economy recovers from the pandemic.
In June, fashion and footwear did well during the brief burst of sunshine, while the start of the Euro 2020 football championship provided a boost for TVs, snack food and beer.
However, online sales remained much higher than their pre-pandemic levels, suggesting the shift to online was "here to stay", the BRC-KPMG retail sales report found.
There were also signs of a dilution in retail consumer spending as the hospitality and leisure sectors reopened, leading to a "fight for share of wallet", it said.
"Retailers are facing challenges on a number of fronts, particularly convincing consumers that it's safe to shop in store as restrictions around mask wearing and social distancing come to an end," said Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG.
But he added that High Street retailers were hoping for a "summer boost" with the lifting of Covid restrictions.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "The second quarter of 2021 saw exceptional growth as the gradual unlocking of the UK economy encouraged a release of pent-up demand built up over previous lockdowns.
"In June, while growth in food sales began to slow, non-food sales were bolstered by growing consumer confidence and the continued unleashing of consumer demand.
"With many people taking staycations, or cheaper UK-based holidays, many have found they have a little extra to spend at the shops, with strong growth in-store in June."
