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.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.