Like-for-like sales disappointing after 'strong Easter boost' in April, while online and mail order non-food sales 7.6% higher than a year ago.
New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have revealed a 0.8% dip in UK retail sales value on a like-for-like (lfl) basis in May. The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for May 2009 also showed a marginal increase of 0.8% in total sales for the month.

Total non-food sales dropped 2.4% for the three months to May - down 2.4% lfl. However, non-food non-store sales, including online, mail order and telephone sales, were 7.6% higher in May than they were a year ago.

Although, Joanne Denney Finch, chief executive of retail analysis company IGD warns that, non-store sales of non-food goods may continue to outperform store sales, "but they are not immune from the impact of the recession on customers' ability and willingness to spend."

According to the BRC, clothing and footwear fell below last May's strong sales, while big-ticket homewares and furniture sales remained difficult.

BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "Sun and Bank Holidays don't a recovery make. Warm weather and days-off produced some good performances for seasonal clothing and outdoor living products, such as gardening goods and summer food and drink. But this May was always going to be difficult because the comparison is with strong May sales last year, which delivered some f 2008's best growth figures."

He added: "The three-month average is up slightly overall but still well down on the rates we've seen before the slowdown really hit retail a year ago... The turnaround in sales of big-ticket items, such as furniture and large electricals, which would indicate real change in the mood of customers, still eludes us."