Retail data in Britain beat expectations

Retail volume in Britain climbed higher than economists had expected in June, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday. It was the second consecutive month data topped expectations. Economists predicted a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase. Gains came to 2.2 from June 2012 to June 2013, percent, ONS said. ONS said retail in Britain showed "an underlying pattern of moderate growth." The quarter-to-quarter gain came to 0.9 percent, while the gain from May came to 0.2 percent, ONS said. Retail receipts per week came to $10.5 billion in June, compared to $10.33 billion in May and $10 billion in June 2012, the data office said.