UK retail sales declined in May as high cost of living pulled consumer sentiment to a record low and weighed on households' spending in food stores, data showed on Friday. Retail sales volume dropped 0.5 percent month-on-month in May, reversing a revised 0.4 percent increase in April, the Office for National Statistics said. Economists had forecast sales to drop 0.7 percent after April's initially estimated 1.4 percent increase.
Food sales declined 1.6 percent on month in May as consumers reduced their spending in food stores reflecting the impact of rising food prices.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.