High street sales make modest rebound helped by warm weather in May

British Retail Consortium reports rise of 0.5% after two months of falling sales, but says that conditions remain tough

High street retailers enjoyed a modest rebound in sales last month as shoppers stocked up on summer clothes, barbecue food and outdoor toys, according to industry figures.

The warm weather helped like-for-like sales rise 0.5% on the year in May, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. It brought some relief to retailers after falling sales in the previous two months, but the trade group said conditions remained tough.

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