Sales in British stores went up again last month. It meant the fourth month in a row that there was an increase, after the collapse in April when many shops had to close their doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Sales volumes in August were 0.8 percent above the July level, according to the British statistical office. Excluding sales of motor fuel, there was an increase of 0.6% on a monthly basis.

In August, the British government’s Eat Out to Help Out program was included. This led, among other things, to more people moving to the city centres. This may have masked some of the underlying problems.

Furthermore, many people still work from home and this has led to a substantial increase in online sales. Food and household items are eagerly deducted. On the other hand, sales of clothing are still well below the level of a year earlier.