Expert: Young people are boosting retail sales

The recession has failed to stop young people keeping up with the latest trends and spending big on the high street, according to an expert, who said their contribution has helped to bolster the retail sales figures.

Tamara Sender, senior fashion analyst at Mintel, said that regardless of the recession some youngsters have carried on spending regardless, bolstering retail sales jobs in the process.

"What it was primarily driven by, was young people. We saw for instance that one in five 16 to 24-year-olds spent more on clothes last year than they usually would – twice the average," she said.

The expert added that she expects the trend to continue throughout the rest of 2010, with more youngsters opting for aspirational brands rather than value ones.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the volume of retail sales in May was 2.2 per cent higher than during the same time last year.

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Posted by John Oak and Wayne Bly

Filed: 21-06-2010