UK retail sales see ‘modest’ improvement for May

For the four weeks spanning April 28 to May 25, total retail sales in the UK saw a subtle increase of 0.7 percent year-on-year, against a growth of 3.9 percent in the same period last year.

The figures came above the three-month average growth of 0.3 percent, yet below the 12-month average of 2 percent.

While food sales shot up, non-food sales took more of a hit, decreasing 2.4 percent over the three-months to May. This was steeper than the 12-month average decline of 1.7 percent.

There was a distinct difference between in-store and online sales for this category too. While physical sales decreased 2.7 percent YoY, against a growth of 2.9 percent in May last year, online sales rose 1.5 percent, against an average decline of 3 percent.

In a release, Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which reported the figures, noted that the “modest rebound” came despite a “strong bank holiday weekend for retailers” and “minimal improvement to weather”.

She continued: “With an election only four weeks away, retailers stand ready to collaborate with the next government to unlock economic potential, benefiting customers, colleagues, and communities alike.

“Cross government co-ordination and outcome driven policy making must no longer be an afterthought in government decision making. Retail really is the “everywhere economy”, and with the right policy environment can use its scale and reach to support public policy goals.”