Chilly May weather dampens UK retail sales

Flat sales picture for May presents fresh setback to retailers after weak performance the previous month

Poor weather dented demand for fashion last month and falling prices continued to knock takings at grocers, leaving overall retail sales flat, according to industry figures.

The British Retail Consortium said sales values were unchanged from a year ago in May on a like-for-like basis, which adjusts for the impact of new store openings. Sales rose 1.1% in total terms.