UK food sales remained solid during May, despite consumers cutting back on non-essential spending, fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor show.

Overall sales growth was the lowest recorded so far this year, though it was ahead of figures reported last year.

Total UK retail sales increased by 1% year-on-year during May, compared to growth of 0.7% in May 2024. Food sales in May were up by 3.6% compared with May 2024, when growth of 2.8% was recorded against the previous year.

“Consumers but the brakes on spending, with the slowest growth in 2025 so far,” said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson. A decline in non-food sales was behind the decline, with fashion and ‘big ticket’ item sales down due to low consumer confidence, she added.

“Food sales remained solid as the month saw the conclusion of football tournaments and two bank holidays, prompting spending on BBQs and picnics,” she said.

The BRC highlighted the extra costs incurred by retailers due to higher costs around wages, National Insurance contributions, and packaging rules.

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“While the sunshine continued, the pace of retail sales didn’t in May,” said KPMG head of consumer, retail and leisure Linda Ellett.

“Early seasonal purchases were likely a factor, as was a dampening of some spending appetite as households reflected upon the recent combination of essential bill rises. But May still saw some slight growth, driven mainly by food and drink.”

“Our Shopper Confidence index rose by five point in May, helped by the prospect of lower energy bills and renewed momentum in UK trade agreements with the US and EU,” said Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) CEO Sarah Bradbury.

“This uplift marks a welcome shift from ‘Awful April,’ but beneath the surface, confidence remains fragile. Our research shows that shoppers are still navigating financial uncertainty and continue to rely on money-saving tactics like planning ahead and buying on promotion.”