Retail sales in the UK started well at the beginning of the year. However the sales have cooled down in May, which is directly affected by the unseasonably cold weather. The Office for National Statistics stated that the quantity of goods bought in shops dropped by 0.5 per cent over the previous month.
“Retail sales continued to grow in the latest three months despite two consecutive monthly falls, with clothing sales declining considerably in May, due to unseasonably cold weather,” – Rhian Murphy – Head of Retail Sales.
However, the latest figures show that store visits over the May Day bank holiday were up by 8.4 percent compared to the same time last year. According to the May retail traffic index, retail footfall held up well in May, falling by only -2.3 percent against the same month last year, stronger than the -2.9 percent drop in April. ( Read More )
