Retail sales increase

UK retail sales in May increased by 3.7 per cent on a like-for-like basis, as the sunshine encouraged shoppers to finally splash out on clothing. The BRC/KPMG sales monitor recorded total year-on-year growth of 6.5 per cent, with the three-month growth trend up from 1.7 per cent in April to 2.2 per cent in May on a like-for-like basis, and from 4.8 per cent to 5.2 per cent in total sales.

Clothing sales were much better than in previous months, especially in the second half of May when the sunny weather boosted demand for summer ranges. Shorts and swimwear for both men and women sold well, as did summer accessories such as sunglasses. Along with beer sales, the Euro 2004 tournament has begun to boost sales in sectors such as clothing and televisions. The expected surge in sales of big screen TVs in time for the kick-off materialised slowly, although football-related promotions also expected to help trade in June.

Kevin Hawkins, director general of the BRC told The Retail Bulletin: "May was a good month for retail with the sunshine boosting sales for many sectors. However, the figures are deceptively strong because whilst the weather helped create a feel good factor, much of the spending on clothing and footwear was due to purchases that shoppers had delayed in March and April due to the wet and cold.