"It's encouraging to see High Street sales up compared to a year ago"
- Judith McKenna, chair of the CBI Distributive Trades Panel
Retail sales in the U.K. unexpectedly rose in May, said the Confederation of British Industry on Tuesday. The index measuring sales jumped to 21 in November from -6 in April. Above 0 indicates higher sales volume, below indicates lower.
"It's encouraging to see High Street sales up compared to a year ago, and that business sentiment about the next three months has improved," said Judith McKenna, chair of the CBI Distributive Trades Panel and chief operating officer at Asda.
"However, sales are still below the average for the time of year, and the combination of high unemployment, slow wage growth and weak consumer confidence means that the retail sector is likely to remain under pressure in the short term."
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