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• Fri Jun 20 2025

'Dismal' month for supermarkets pushes down retail sales

A "dismal" month for supermarkets led to UK retail sales falling in May at the fastest pace for more than a year, official figures show.

Sales volumes dropped 2.7% in May, the biggest monthly fall since December 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Food retailers saw lower sales of alcohol and tobacco as households cut back, while clothing and household goods stores reported "slow trading", the ONS said.

Separate figures on the UK economy showed that government borrowing rose last month, hitting the second highest level for May since monthly began in 1993.