UK retail sales see mild recovery in late April-May

By Emir Yildirim

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UK’s retail sales saw a mild recovery towards the end of May, as the total retail sales in the country soared 0.7% on an annual basis, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) released on Tuesday.

The data showed that the total retail sales had gone up 3.9% in May last year, which was below the 12-month average growth.

Food sales in the UK climbed 3.6% year-on-year in May over three months, less than the growth last year, which was 9.6%.

Non-food sales fell 2.4% on an annual basis in the same period.

In-store non-food sales declined 2.7% year-on-year in May, but online non-food sales went up 1.5% yearly in the same period.

The rate of non-food items bought online jumped to 36.7% in May 2024, higher than the 12-month average.

“Growth in computing sales reached their highest levels since the pandemic, with many consumers continuing to upgrade tech bought during that period, (…) and retailers remain optimistic that major events such as the Euros and the Olympics will bolster consumer confidence this summer,” said Helen Dickinson, CEO of the BRC.

“After nearly three years, things may have turned a corner for online retailers, with year-on-year sales growth across most categories, including toys and baby equipment and house textiles,” said Linda Ellett, head of consumer at international audit services provider KPMG.