UK retail sales rose 3.7% year-on-year in May 2026, far exceeding market expectations of a 0.6% increase and rebounding sharply from a 3.4% decline in April. This was the strongest growth since April 2025, supported by unusually warm weather and the early May bank holiday. Food sales increased 3.9%, while non-food sales grew 3.5%, with both categories outperforming their 12-month averages of 2.6% and 1.1%, respectively.