UK clothing and footwear stores were under pressure last month as retail sales volumes fell, official figures showed today.
Retail sales volumes fell by 0.6% between April and May, the Office for National Statistics said.
Total sales volumes in the three months to May were 0.6% higher than a year earlier - the lowest growth since December 1995.
Clothing and footwear stores saw volumes decline by 1.9% over the month, while 'other' stores - including sectors such as photography and sports - registered a 3% fall.
The sluggish housing market, however, is still bearing down on household goods sales. In the three months to May this was the hardest-hit retail sector, showing a record decline of 7.3% on a year earlier.
Experts warned that pressure on the consumer would increase and is likely to impact the high street as unemployment rises and households cut their cloth to pay off debts piled up in the boom years.
