UK shoppers return to high street as warm weather brings respite from shadow of war

British Retail Consortium figures show footfall rose in May, with consumer confidence improving after spending squeezeGreater numbers of consumers went shopping last month as spring sunshine brought welcome relief to retailers, which have faced a squeeze on spending since the US-Israel war on Iran.Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and a separate survey by the accountancy firm BDO showed a bounce-back in footfall during May, reversing a sharp decline in April.The recovery coincided with consumer confidence surveys showing a rise in May as shoppers began to get over the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices linked to the Middle East conflict, which began in late February.BDO said total sales on the high street grew by 3.4% from the same month in 2025. The BRC said it recorded a 2.6% decline in footfall in May from the same month last year, but the situation had improved markedly since a year-on-year slump of 10.7% in April.The BRC’s survey, which includes shopping centres and retail parks with high street stores, found that high streets were the winner, registering a decline of just 1.7%, while shopping centres fared worst, declining by 2.4%.Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said: “While total UK footfall remained down on last year, it was a significant improvement on April’s double-digit drop.”She said soaring temperatures in the last week of May deterred many shoppers from venturing out, ending any hopes of footfall registering a positive figure.“While the warmer weather initially encouraged more people to the shops, the record-breaking temperatures at the end of the month resulted in a sharp decline in footfall, particularly at shopping centres and retail parks.“Only high streets bucked the trend, as those who were out and about took the opportunity to pop into their local stores,” she added.A poll by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research this week found that in May consumer confidence rose by the most since 2021. Its index rose by 2.6 points to 104.9, the biggest increase in five years. Any score higher than 100 suggests positive sentiment.YouGov said the more optimistic mood was the result of people’s improving perception of the health of their household finances. Their perceptions of house prices also improved last month, with their outlook on the market rising from 128.6 to 130.5.The figures are the latest indicator the UK economy is not faring as badly as feared at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.This week, the OECD predicted economic growth of 0.9% in the UK this year – a modest upgrade from the 0.7% it feared in March when it last updated its forecasts. However, unemployment has unexpectedly risen to 5% and energy bills are expected to increase sharply later in the year.BDO and the BRC said that, overall retailers were having a tough time with consumers buffeted by a succession of issues, from tax rises to international conflict, though high street shop owners are hopeful the World Cup this month will boost sales.Sophie Michael, the head of retail at BDO, said the uncertainty created by international conflict and rising energy prices was likely to offset any temporary boost from summer events.She said: “The longer-term picture for retailers remains fairly bleak; already high costs may go even higher due to the closure of the strait of Hormuz and increasing energy prices, which may also force consumers to tighten their purse strings. Retailers will have welcomed this month’s sales growth but must brace themselves for further challenges ahead.”