Wet weather dampens demand as fashion sales slump
Retail sales slid in May as dismal weather triggered the biggest monthly drop in fashion sales in nearly four years.
Retail sales volumes in May declined 0.5% compared to the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This decline was exacerbated by a 4.5% month-on-month decline in clothing sales during the period – the steepest fall since July 2015.
On a year-on-year basis, retail sales volumes rose 2.3% in May.
On a three-month basis, retail sales increased 1.6% with growth recorded across all sectors except for department stores, in which sales declined 0.9%, down for the eighth consecutive month.
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