LONDON (ShareCast) - Retail sales fell in May against strong comparatives last year, according to a survey from the British Retail Consortium.
The BRC said like-for-like sales fell 0.8% in May compared with a year ago, while total sales rise
0.8%.
"This May was always going to be difficult because the comparison is with strong May sales last year, which delivered some of 2008's best growth figures," said BRC Director General Stephen Robertson.
In April, like-for-like sales surged 4.6% on the year, which was the strongest in three years, and a total sales increase of 6.3%, helped by Easter.
Clothing sales were lower than a year ago, and footwear sales fell at their sharpest rate in a year, the BRC said. Consumers were still weary about buying "big-ticket" items such as large electrical products and furniture.
"The extent of the slowdown in sales in May was disappointing and significantly deeper than expected," said Howard Archer, chief economist IHS Global Insight.
"The disappointing May BRC retail sales survey is a stark reminder that the consumer faces a lot of problems and that the economy is still in a lot of trouble despite the recent flurry of improved data and survey evidence," he added.
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