Rugby World Cup boosts sales of beer and party food

British Retail Consortium says like-for-like sales grew at fastest annual pace for six months in September, buoyed by demand for snacks and alcohol

Demand for beer and party food for Rugby World Cup watchers and school shoes for the new term helped lift retail sales last month, according to industry figures.

In the latest report to indicate consumer spending remains the main driver of economic growth, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said like-for-like sales grew at the fastest annual pace for six months in September.