UK high street sees pickup in sales in May

Britain's high street saw a marked improvement in sales volumes in May, according to the British Retail Consortium and KPMG's Retail Sales Monitor.

It shows that total UK retail sales values rose 3% year on year in May, compared to a 0.8% increase year on year in May, on a like for like basis, which strips out the effect of extra floor space. In April total sales fell 0.2%, while like for like sales were down 2.3% year on year. Food sales returned to growth after a fall in April, while the hot weather provided a boost to clothing, footwear, DIY and leisure, and homewares to a degree. However, the BRC reports that sales of big ticket items struggled as consumers remained uncertain about job security and income prospects. Non-food ...