UK retail sales down
British clothing and footwear stores were under pressure last month as retail sales volumes fell, official figures showed today.
UK retail sales volumes fell 0.6% between April and May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Total sales volumes in the three months to May were 0.6% higher than a year earlier - the lowest growth since December 1995.
Clothing and footwear stores saw volumes decline by 1.9% over the month, while "other" stores - including sectors such as photography and sports - registered a 3% fall.
Retail figures have been better than expected in recent months, but analysts said today's result was well below market forecasts for a 0.3% increase.
Vicky Redwood, of Capital Economics, said: "We wouldn't be surprised if this marked the start of a period of rather weaker sales growth than of late. The credit crunch-driven nature of the slowdown so far appears to have primarily hit spending off the high street.
"But as the deteriorating labour market and future tax rises hit household incomes more generally, we expect a prolonged period of weakness in both retail and non-retail spending."
