UK retail sales climb 3.2% annually in May, beating expectations

Retail sales volumes in the UK rose 3.2% year-on-year in May, beating market expectations of a 1.9% annual increase, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Friday.

On a monthly basis, sales also increased 1.2% in May, following a revised 1% decline in April.

Retailers said promotions and hot weather supported sales volumes, particularly for non-store retailers and department stores.

In the three months to May, retail sales volumes rose 0.4% compared with the three months to February, while they were up 1.4% compared with the same period last year.

Non-food store sales volumes rose 1.2% in the three-month period, while department store sales volumes increased 2.7%, marking the largest three-month rise since September 2024.

The ONS said department stores performed well in May due to good weather, with retailers reporting higher demand for items such as fans and paddling pools.

Computer and telecoms retailers also continued to grow, supported by demand following product releases in March.

On a monthly basis, non-store retailers, which are predominantly online retailers, saw sales volumes jump 6.1% in May, the largest monthly increase since February 2025. This pushed volumes to their highest level since January 2022.

The ONS said online spending values rose 3.3% month-on-month in May and were up 12.2% compared with May 2025.

The share of retail sales made online increased to 28.8% in May from 28.1% in April.

Despite the overall rise, retail sales volumes remained 0.4% below their pre-coronavirus pandemic level in February 2020.