UK retail posted lower sales in May. Revenues fell by 0.5 percent compared to the previous month, as the statistics office ONS announced on Friday in London. Analysts had expected a slightly stronger minus of 0.7 percent. However, the increase in sales in April was corrected significantly from 1.4 to 0.4 percent. In the three months to May, the downward trend that had been going on since the summer continued, with sales declining from this point of view.
According to the ONS, the current development was burdened by falling sales of food. Reasons are probably the higher prices for food and the general increase in the cost of living, the statisticians explained. Gasoline sales at petrol stations, on the other hand, rose, which is probably due to a declining proportion of employees who work exclusively from home. The market share of online trade fell slightly, but is still significantly higher than before the corona pandemic. (dpa)