U.K. retail sales recovered at a faster than expected pace in May after easing in April, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.
Retail sales volume, including automotive fuel, rose 1.4 percent from the prior month, when it was down 2.4 percent. The increase was bigger than the expected growth of 1.2 percent.
Likewise, retail sales volume logged an annual growth of 2.4 percent, offsetting April's 1.1 percent drop. The increase exceeded the consensus forecast of 2.1 percent.
Excluding fuel, retail sales volume rose 0.9 percent month-on-month, after declining 1.1 percent in the previous month. Economists had expected only 0.7 percent increase.
Sales expanded 3 percent annually, erasing a 0.3 percent percent fall seen in April and better than the 2.7 percent increase forecast by economists.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.