Retail sales in May slip against strong comparatives

9th June 2009 | sales | Like for like retail sales in the UK fell 0.8% in May with furniture and homeware retailers finding life difficult, according to the British Retail Sales Consortium’s monthly sales monitor.

‘The turnaround in sales of big ticket items such as furniture and large electricals, which would indicate real change in the mood of customers, still eludes us,’ said Stephen Robertson, BRC director general.

Overall sales climbed 0.8% including new retail floorspace, while non-food, non-store (mail order and Internet) sales rose 7.6% year on year – the smallest rise since the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor started tracking this category seven months ago.

The BRC said, however, that May 2008 had proven to be a strong month, so comparatives a year on were always likely to be difficult.