UK shoppers return to high street as warm weather brings respite from shadow of war | Retail industry
More consumers went shopping last month as spring sunshine brought welcome relief to retailers who have suffered a contraction in spending since the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and a separate survey by accountancy firm BDO showed a recovery in visitor numbers in May, reversing a sharp decline in April.
The recovery coincided with consumer confidence surveys rising in May as shoppers began to recover from a sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices linked to the Middle East conflict that began in late February.
Total sales on the high street were up 3.4% compared to the same month in 2025, BDO said. The BRC said it recorded a 2.6% drop in visitor numbers in May compared to the same month last year, but the situation has improved significantly since the 10.7% year-on-year drop in April.
BRC’s survey, which covers shopping centers and retail parks with high street stores, found that high streets were the winners, recording a decline of just 1.7%, while shopping centers were the worst performers, recording a decline of 2.4%.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “While total visitor numbers in the UK remained lower than last year, it was a significant improvement on the double-digit decline in April.”
He said rising temperatures in the last week of May had deterred many shoppers from going out and hopes of footfall numbers recording a positive figure were over.
“While warmer weather initially encouraged more people to head to stores, record-breaking temperatures at the end of the month led to a sharp decline in foot traffic, especially in shopping malls and retail parks.
“Only the high street has bucked this trend, with those out and about taking the opportunity to pop into their local shops,” he added.
A survey this week by YouGov and the Center for Economics and Business Research found that consumer confidence in May rose by the most since 2021. The index increased by 2.6 points to 104.9, the biggest increase in five years. Any score above 100 indicates positive emotion.
YouGov said the more optimistic mood was the result of people’s improving perceptions of the health of their household finances. Their perception of house prices also improved last month, with their market outlook rising from 128.6 to 130.5.
The figures are the latest indication that the UK economy is not doing as badly as feared at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
This week the OECD predicted economic growth in the UK will be 0.9% this year; That’s a modest increase from the 0.7% it had feared in March, when it last updated its forecast. But unemployment unexpectedly rose to 5% and energy bills are expected to rise sharply later in the year.
BDO and BRC said retailers in general were having a tough time with consumers grappling with a range of issues from tax rises to international conflicts, but high street store owners were hopeful this month’s World Cup would boost sales.
BDO head of retail Sophie Michael said uncertainty created by international conflicts and rising energy prices would likely offset temporary increases from summer events.
He said: “The long-term picture for retailers remains quite bleak; already high costs due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and rising energy prices could rise further, forcing consumers to tighten their wallets. Retailers will welcome this month’s sales increase but should brace themselves for further challenges ahead.”
