Sunny weather boosts clothing sales in May

Shoppers person been splashing retired connected caller outfits and different items for enjoying the summertime weather, boosting income overall, latest retail figures show.

After the prima came retired successful the 2nd fractional of May, income volumes roseate by a stronger than expected 0.3%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Online retailers and plot centres did peculiarly well, the ONS said.

Fuel income besides roseate compared to April, but radical bought little nutrient arsenic prices continued to rise.

"Retail income grew a small successful May, with online shops doing peculiarly good selling outdoor goods and summertime clothes, arsenic the prima began to shine," Heather Bovill, elder statistician astatine the ONS said.

"Garden centres and DIY stores besides saw growth, arsenic the bully upwind encouraged radical to commencement location and plot improvements."

Food income fell 0.5% successful May. As good arsenic terms pressures, that could beryllium owed to the other slope vacation past month, the ONS said, arsenic much radical ordered takeaways oregon went to the pub.

Overall consumers are inactive buying somewhat little than they were earlier the pandemic. But due to the fact that prices person risen, they are spending importantly much successful total.

Prices are inactive rising, though ostentation - the complaint astatine which they are going up - has eased from implicit 10% astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth to 8.7% successful May.

On Thursday, the Bank of England enactment involvement rates up by fractional a percent constituent to 5% successful an effort to dampen request and bring down prices. Interest rates person been rising since December 2021 but that does not yet look to beryllium having a large interaction connected user spending.

"Retail income successful the UK were stronger than expected which whitethorn partially warrant the jumbo-sized involvement complaint summation from the Bank of England," said Neil Birrell, main concern serviceman astatine Premier Miton Investors.

"It's hard to judge that tighter argumentation won't commencement having a important interaction sooner alternatively than later, meaning the user volition respond accordingly."

The online and High Street cocoa chain, Hotel Chocolat, issued a nett informing connected Friday saying it expected to marque a nonaccomplishment this twelvemonth and little than expected profits successful 2024.

The steadfast blamed "ongoing weakness successful user sentiment and continuing inflationary pressures" for the shift.