Hot weather behind rise in UK retail sales in May

Retail sales bounced back to growth in May as record hot weather spurred sales of fans and paddling pools, while online purchases also soared. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the volume of retail sales in Great Britain grew 1.2% in May compared with the previous month, the strongest monthly rate of growth since January. The increase, more than double the 0.5% rate of growth forecast by analysts, marks a recovery from a revised 1% month-on-month fall in sales in April. The ONS had originally said that sales fell 1.3% in April, the biggest fall since May last year. The ONS also revised the rise in sales in March, up from 0.6% to 0.7%. “Feedback from retailers suggested the hot weather in May helped sales of items such as fans and paddling pools,” said Jon Gough, a senior statistician at the ONS. “Computer and telecoms stores continued to do well following product launches in March, while online retailers also performed strongly, with feedback suggesting that this was helped by promotions.” Non-store retailing, primarily online retailers, enjoyed a bumper month, with sales soaring 6.1% compared with April, the biggest monthly rise since February 2025. Department stores also enjoyed a strong month, with sales up 2.5% compared with April, and a quarterly sales increase of 2.7%, the biggest since September 2024. Household goods stores reported sales up 3.2% month on month. …