Bad weather affects retail sales
Retail sales growth in May slowed as consumers stayed away from the shops during the cooler weather, according the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Its Retail Sales Monitor found UK sales rose 1.8% on a like-for-like basis compared to a year earlier, when they had grown by 3.6%. It was the weakest performance since last November's 0.5% growth.
Clothing and footwear sales fell, as did sales of DIY and gardening foods. The worsening weather, coming after a warm April, was blamed for the fall. Food sales and big ticket items were also poorer.
The BRC said consumer confidence was weak, which was reflected in shoppers' caution about making large purchases.
