July retail sales saw an increase, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Reasons for the low increase include England’s early exit from the World Cup and a general reluctance amongst consumers to let go of their recession spending habits.

Sales rose 0.1% in the month compared to June, slightly below analysts’ expectations, although they rose 2.6% on the previous year.

The three-month on previous three-month movement showed continued growth for the 17 consecutive month increasing by 0.3%. This was the longest period of sustained growth since November 2007.

Meanwhile, the amount spent online increased by 11.2% in July 2014 compared with July 2013 but decreased by 1.9% compared with June 2014.