Economic Buzz: UK retail sales up by 3.2% in May

Retail sales volume in the United Kingdom saw a yearly rise of 3.2% in May, the country's Office for National Statistics said in its report published on Friday. Month-on-month, the figure increased by 1.2%.

In the three months to May 2026, compared to the previous period of the same length, retail sales volumes grew by 0.4%. Compared to the same three months in 2025, the number went up by 1.4%.

The highest monthly rise was observed in non-store retailing, with those sales soaring by 6.1%. Household goods stores rose by 3.2%, and department stores by 2.5%. Automotive fuels went up by 0.4%.

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