Consumers in the United Kingdom increased their spending in May after reducing it in April, according to surveys by Barclays and the British Retail Consortium. The growth in spending was driven by hot weather and a bank holiday, which contributed to increased sales of clothing and other items.

Spending Trends

Barclays reported that consumer spending grew by 0.8% in annual terms in May, although this was weaker than the current inflation rate of around 3%. Travel spending, however, fell by 5.8% for the third consecutive month, with airline spending down by 12.9% from the previous year.

The British Retail Consortium noted that total retail sales increased by 3.7% in annual terms in May, the largest such increase since April 2025. Food and non-food sales rose by 3.9% and 3.5%, respectively. The BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson, stated that the hot weather drove a surge in outdoor and summer goods, with clothing and footwear returning to growth as shoppers purchased summer essentials.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.