UK retail sales experienced a boost in May, climbing by 1.2% as shoppers returned to the high street during a heatwave and continued to show strong demand for new electronic goods. This rise follows a 1% decline in April, when concerns over the Iran war caused Britons to curb their spending, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
Heatwave and tech demand drive rebound
The rebound was supported by the third-warmest May on record, with non-food stores leading the upturn as shoppers sought products to cope with the heat. Non-store retailers recorded a 6.1% increase, the largest monthly gain since February 2025, as consumers purchased items such as outdoor furniture, paddling pools, and fans. Retailers attributed the upturn to warm-weather promotions and seasonal sales, as reported by City AM.
Department store volumes also grew by 2.7% in the three months to May, marking the largest three-monthly increase since September 2024. Analysts anticipate that summer events, including Wimbledon and the World Cup, will continue to draw shoppers back to the high street.
Selective demand persists
Erin Brookes, European retail and consumer lead at Alvarez & Marsal, commented: "May's retail sales figures offer hope that consumers are willing to spend again, with the warm weather and bank holiday weekends helping to drive demand across department stores, online retail, and consumer electronics. Retailers will be willing this positive momentum to carry through the summer."
Sales volumes among computer and telecoms retailers also climbed, as customers demonstrated continued demand for products launched in March. Some consumers had delayed new purchases amid the uncertainty surrounding the Iran war.
Online sales volumes leapt by 3.3% in the three months to May, while sales values rose 12.2% compared to the previous year.
Grocery sector under pressure
However, food stores experienced a 0.4% drop in sales as grocery volumes "remain under pressure" from stretched households juggling soaring bills, housing costs, and unpredictable fuel prices. Ms Brookes noted that many consumers "are still prioritising saving."
She added: "Beneath the headline growth, this remains a market shaped by selective demand rather than renewed confidence. Grocery volumes remain under pressure, and in non-food the strongest gains came where weather, timing, and clear purpose aligned. Consumers are still value-conscious, deliberate, and willing to shift, channel, or delay spend in search of the right proposition and promotion."
Outlook for summer
Despite the increase in non-food purchases, analysts highlighted that the market remains "shaped by selective demand rather than renewed confidence," with the heatwave chiefly responsible for the uptick. Found observed: "Consumers are still value-conscious, deliberate, and willing to shift channel or delay spend in search of the right proposition and promotion. That leaves retailers trapped between political pressure and commercial reality. The government is pushing the sector to do more to support stretched households, but retailers are facing rising wages, energy, and operating costs of their own."
Nevertheless, some analysts pointed out that a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict, coupled with high-profile summer sporting events, could sustain elevated sales into June. Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte, said: "Brighter times may lie ahead. With some resilience in households' personal finances, the end of geopolitical tensions, and World Cup fever kicking in, we could see spending continuing to improve. Consumers may start enjoying more seasonal splurges, including in the more discretionary categories."
