UK retail sales boosted by warm weather and discounts

Image caption, Sales rebounded after a disappointing April

UK retail sales rebounded in May, driven by the warm weather and discounting, a survey has said.

Like-for-like sales, which take out the impact of new store openings, rose by 0.8% compared with a year ago, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.

Sales of televisions in the run up the World Cup also helped to drive sales, the group added.

Retail sales growth was weak in May last year, which also helps to explain the rise in sales last month.

World Cup boost

But the figures do provide some cheer after retail sales fell sharply in April.

"The sunnier second half of May provided a welcome boost to overall sales," said the BRC's director general Stephen Robertson.

The warmer weather, together with discounts and promotions, encouraged spending on clothing, footwear and outdoor DIY.

Discounts also helped to boost sales of televisions ahead of the World Cup, a tournament that should drive sales of other football merchandise in the coming weeks, Mr Robertson said.

However, he did caution that there was still "plenty of uncertainty, which is making consumers nervous about buying expensive goods."