RETAIL SALES RISE DUE TO BETTER WEATHER – Days of heavy rain previously dampened demand across much of the UK

Retail sales rose by a better-than-expected 2.9% in May as increased footfall, better weather and deals saw shoppers return to high streets, according to officials.

It comes following a poor performance during the previous month as days of heavy rain dampened demand in much of the country.

Non-food shops reported strong monthly growth in May, with a rebound in clothes and furniture sales in particular, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Friday.

Footwear, sports equipment, games and toys outlets also experienced an improvement in their quantity of sales.

Economists polled had been expecting a rise of around 1.5%. Meanwhile, the ONS also revised its retail sales figures for April. It previously estimated that they fell by a worse-than-expected 2.3%, but now says the drop was 1.8%.