Shopkeepers are still feeling the pinch with the worst sales for a decade.

Sales were down by 1.9 per cent in July compared to last year according to the British Retail Consortium. It only measured sales in shops that had been trading for a year or more and said the figures were the worst since it started compiling statistics in 1995.

Soozie Campbell, Brighton and Hove city centre manager, said independent retailers were the worst hit by the downturn.

She added: "It has generally not been a good year. Some traders are saying they are up on last year but most are on a par and some are down."

Thursday, August 11, 2005