Turnover of British retailers fell by 4.5 per cent in May, ballasted by low temperatures. This is the biggest drop of clothing sales within the country since July 2015.

Retail sales fell 0.5 per cent in relation to the fall of 0.1 per cent in April. On the other hand, sales in British department stores between March and May suffered a drop of 0.9 per cent. The political and economic uncertainty the country is immersed in as a result of Brexit is affecting the confidence of consumers and companies.

There are concerns over the sustainability of the UK fashion industry and the vast amount of associated waste that is channeled to landfills. In the UK some 235 million items of clothing are sent to landfills a year and 1.3 billion tons of carbon emissions are produced by the global fashion industry. As consumer awareness starts to increase, and this year has seen an unprecedented war on single-use plastic with most companies ditching plastic straws and plans announced by many to reduce waste, the fashion industry might have to change its tune of denial. Rock-bottom prices by UK fast fashion retailers are leading to a throwaway culture. Fast fashion retailer Primark is planning on launching a take-back scheme next year, where clothes can be returned once they are no longer wanted and used by overseas charities.