'Dismal' month for supermarkets pushes down retail sales

'Dismal' month for supermarkets pushes down retail sales 6 minutes ago Share Save Share Save Getty Images UK retail sales fell sharply last month after "dismal" sales at supermarkets, official figures show. Sales volumes were estimated to have fallen by 2.7% in May, the biggest monthly fall since December 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It said there were signs that alcohol and tobacco sales were lower after customers chose to make cutbacks. Separate figures from the ONS showed that government borrowing rose last month, hitting the second highest level for May since monthly began in 1993. Borrowing - the difference between spending and tax income - was £17.7bn, up £0.7bn from May last year. The ONS said revenue from income tax and National Insurance contributions increased, but spending rose by more, partly due to inflation-linked uplifts to many benefits. Consumers cutting back