BRITISH retail sales by volume dropped in May as soaring inflation caused consumers to limit spending, especially on food, official data showed Friday (24).
Sales fell 0.5 per cent compared with a rise of 0.4 per cent in April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
April's data was sharply revised lower after an initial estimate showed retail sales had jumped 1.4 per cent.
"Retail sales fell in May driven by a decline in food sales," said Heather Bovill, deputy director for surveys and economic indicators at the ONS.
"Feedback from supermarkets suggested customers were spending less on their food shop because of the rising cost of living."
She added that department stores and companies selling household goods in May reported "consumer reluctance to spend due to affordability worries and higher prices".
This was partly offset by higher fuel sales and purchases of summer clothing.
Inflation around the world has hit the highest levels in decades on soaring energy and food prices.
Businesses are experiencing supply constraints as Covid lockdowns are lifted and following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Resulting price hikes mean "consumers are increasingly making more considered decisions about how they spend their money, as the cost-of-living squeeze on finances becomes more acute", Myron Jobson, senior personal finance analyst at Interactive Investor, noted Friday.
UK food stores saw sales volumes slide 1.6 pecent in May, the ONS added.
(AFP)
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)