‘Dismal’ month for supermarkets pushes down retail sales

According to official figures, a “gloomy” month for supermarkets has led to the fastest fall of retail sales for more than a year in May.

According to the National Statistics Office (Ones), sales volumes fell 2.7% in May, the biggest monthly decrease since December 2023.

Ones, food retailers’ households, while the sale of lower alcohol and tobacco sales, clothing and household goods stores “Slow Trade” reported.

Separate figures on the UK economy showed that last month, government borrowing Rose has reached the second highest level for May since 1993.

The difference between borrowing – expenditure and tax revenue – from May last year, an increase of £ 0.7 billion was £ 17.7 billion.

Ones, income and income from national insurance contributions have increased, but partially due to inflation -related increases, expenditures have increased more, he said.

The decline in sales of May followed a 1.3% increase in April, when sales were increased with sunny weather.

Earlier this year, good weather led people to bring home improvement projects, which meant that the demand for DIY goods fell in May.

Ones figures show that sales volumes from three months to May have increased by 0.8% compared to the previous three months, which are seen as a better guide for underlying trends.

However, Capital Economics’s British Chief economist Paul Dales said that the data was added to other evidence of the “explosion of economic growth in the beginning of the year”.

The Minister said that a part of the fall of May was caused by the increase in hot air in April, but “Ons also said that retailers want to cut inflation consumers,” he said.