UK retail sales plummet by 2.7% in May

Food sales down 5%

UK retail sales tumbled by 2.7% in May, their steepest drop in 18 months as consumers became more frugal with their food purchases.

This fall came after a 1.3% rise in April 2025, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics and was much sharper than the median forecast of 0.5% in a Reuters poll. It represented the largest monthly fall since December 2023, with food stores the driving factor for this decline, after sales volumes decreased by 5%. Majority of UK financial institutions expect growth over next 12 months This represented a sharp reversal of April's purchasing, when Britons increased their food store buys by 4.7%. Spenders also cut back on household goods and retail purchases, excl...