UK consumers spent more on clothes, personal grooming and gifts in May as groups of people were allowed to meet again and leisure venues reopened, a survey showed.
Total consumer spending rose 7.6% compared with May 2019, before the pandemic took hold, Barclaycard said. Spending on clothes rose 8.5% and consumers laid out 17.8% extra at pharmacy, health and beauty stores.
Spending at gift, toy and jewellery shops surged 27% compared with 6.4% growth in April, suggesting people were buying presents for reunions and celebrations. Many family members had not seen each other for six months or more before rules began to relax in April.
Sales of clothing, makeup and other items plunged during the pandemic as people worked from home and had limited opportunities to socialise with restaurants and pubs closed. In-store clothes sales were 6.4% lower than two years earlier but the decline shrank from the 47% recorded in April.
Supermarket spending rose 17.7% and purchases at local food and drink retailers such as butches and off licences soared 69% indicating that consumers are continuing to support local traders. Department store spending rose 8.6%.
Spending at theme parks, cinemas and other leisure venues strengthened and purchases at sports and outdoor retailers rose 47%. Hospitality businesses also showed signs of recovery as restrictions were lifted on eating and drinking indoors.
Raheel Ahmed, Barclaycard’s head of consumer products, said: “May was a positive month for a range of categories, with the nation clearly determined to show support for retailers and local businesses. As friends and families reunited after months apart, it is reassuring to see signs of recovery for the entertainment and hospitality industries, both of which have faced significant challenges over the past year.”
Barclaycard’s figures added to evidence that UK consumers are spending again as the economy emerges from lockdown and with vaccinations promising protection from Covid-19. Industry figures released on Tuesday showed retail sales jumped by almost one-quarter in May.
