Data released by Barclaycard reveals that consumers spent 11% more in DIY stores in February compared with last year.
The figures, which cover January 26 to February 22, also show that out of 11 categories, DIY enjoyed the highest spend.

According to Barclaycard, this two-year high in DIY spend is due to the current booming house market.

In general, consumer spending in February was flat, rising just 2%. The data also showed that the high street is struggling to compete against rising online sales, which grew 8.6% on last year.

Barclaycard's ceo Val Soranno Keating said: "The positive noises on the economy and unemployment have yet to drive significant increases in consumer spend. While consumers feel more confident than they have for several years, the upswing in spending growth that we saw in the middle of last year has slowed as pay packets are not matching the performance of the wider economy. Until we see stronger wage growth, spending will likely continue to be muted."